EXPLORATION AND DISSECTION OF A MAMMALIAN HEART
             In this experiment, we obtained a fresh heart and dissected it to examine and
             observe the different parts of the heart, as well as studying how they function and work
             Problem: How can we study the heart through dissection?
             The most basic function of the circulatory system is to move the blood. The
             organ that provides the force to push the blood through the vessels is the heart. The
             mammalian heart is composed of four chambers to which large blood vessels are
             connected. The walls of these chambers are made of cardiac muscle tissue. It is the
             contraction of these muscular walls in a synchronized manner that moves the blood
             through this pump and its connected vessels. Valves are present in several locations,
             where they function to maintain a indirectional flow of blood.
             By doing this experiment, we will gain an understanding of the complexity of a
             heart, by learning and doing how to probe the chambers and observe it carefully, and
             inspecting the valves. We will also learn about our own hearts, because besides the
             size, mammalian hearts are all very similar.
             Materials: mammalian heart, glass probe, dissecting pan, single-edged razor blade,
             dissecting needle, scalpel, absorbent paper towel
             Procedure & Results: Refer to lab sheets!
             1) Describe the function of each of the four heart chambers.
             Blood first enters the right atrium while the atria are relaxing. This blood is
             coming back from the body tissues. The blood that is returning from the lungs enters
             the left atrium. The atria contracts, and causes the ventricles to fill with blood. This
             contracts also and makes the blood flow out of the left ventricle, into the aorta, while
             blood flows into the pulmonary artery from the right ventricle.
             2) How are these chambers adapted for their specific functions?
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