Glen Cove Students Dissect Pig Hearts

Glen Cove High School Living Environment students dissected adult pig hearts as a culminating activity to their recent study of the human heart and circulatory system.

While dissecting the adult pig hearts, students had to identify certain features. They also had the opportunity to cut into the heart and see the connections between the four chambers of the heart and the major blood vessels bringing blood into and out of these chambers. Students examined the two heart valves, and followed up the next day with an excellent dramatization of a heart attack, with computer-generated imagery that enhanced the students’ knowledge of what they experienced the day before.

Teacher Victoria Graziosi said the lesson led to noteworthy observations by the students, including that the aorta’s diameter is huge in comparison to other vessels. In addition, when cutting into the wall of the right versus left ventricle, students were immediately struck by the thickness of the left ventricular wall.

Story, Photo courtesy of the Glen Cove City School District: Glen Cove High School Living Environment students (l-r): Adam Rami, Yasmin Fakhry, Alicia Drex and Ashlee Field worked together on the dissection.