Rat Dissection Information

Dorsal

Refers to the backside of an organism.

Ventral

Pertaining to the belly side of an organism.

Medial

Closer to the midline of the body.

Lateral

Farther from the midline of the body.

Proximal

Closer to the trunk or attachment site.

Distal

Farther from the trunk or attachment site.

Cranial

Nearer to the neck region.

Caudal

Nearer to the tail region.

Cervical

Relating to the neck region.

Thoracic

Pertaining to the chest region.

Abdominal

Front region of the body trunk.

Gluteal

Referring to the buttocks.

Femoral

Relating to the thighs.

Pleura

Membrane surrounding the lungs.

Pericardium

Membrane that surrounds the heart.

Peritoneum

Membrane surrounding the abdominal organs.

Temporal

Above the Masseter muscle.

Masseter

Muscle below the Temporal region.

Cervicoauricularis

Above the cervical trapezius muscle.

Cervical Trapezius

Below the cervicoauricularis muscle.

Spinodeltoid

Located next to triceps below thoracic trapezius.

Teres major

Positioned in the middle of spinodeltoid and latissimus dorsi muscles.

Thoracic Trapezius

Found at the very top of spinodeltoid, teres major, and latissimus dorsi muscles.

Serratus ventralis

Triangular muscle group that is challenging to locate.

Triceps

Muscle near the Spinodeltoid.

External oblique

Muscle located in the middle after triceps.

Gluteus superficialis

Muscle situated after the external oblique.

Biceps femoris

Muscle near the gluteus superficialis.

Trachea

Tubular structure resembling a straw.

Thymus

Gland located on top of the heart.

Lungs

Organs present on the right and left sides of the body.

Auricle

Structure on the blue left side of the heart.

Ventricle

Part of the venous system.

Ribs

Bones located internally.

Esophagus

Structure surrounding the trachea.

Diaphragm

Muscle accidentally counted off.

Liver

Organ with a blue appearance.

Pancreas

Gland resembling a net.

Spleen

Organ similar in appearance to the liver.

Stomach

Organ where the pyloric sphincter can be found.

Small intestine

Consists of duodenum, jejunum, and ileum.

Mesentery

Membrane that surrounds the small intestine.

Duodenum

Beginning of the small intestine.

Jejunum

Middle part of the small intestine.

Ileum

End of the small intestine connecting to the cecum.

Large intestine

Thicker than the small intestine.

Arterial System

Includes pulmonary and diaphragm arteries.

Venous System

Contains the right superior vena cava.

Aorta

Located behind the thymus.

Posterior vena cava

Found after the diaphragm vena cava.

Superior vena cava

Topmost vena cava.

Jugular vein

Blue vein near the neck.

Carotid artery

Red artery near the neck.

Femoral artery

Red artery near the back legs' thigh.

Pulmonary artery

Artery positioned at the top right.

Urinary bladder

Surrounded by two prostate glands.

Ureter

Tube connecting the kidney to the bladder.

Adrenal gland

Gland located on top of the kidney.

Urethra

Passage inside the penis.

Uterine horns

Two structures in female anatomy.

Ovaries

Organs located on the uterine horns.

Oviduct

Structures at the ends of the uterine horns.

Vagina

Structure that is challenging to find.

Testes

Organs below the epididymis.

Epididymis

Structure on top of the testes.

Prostate glands

Glands surrounding the bladder.

Sperm duct

Line connecting to the epididymis.

Penis

External structure of the scrotum.

Preputial glands

Surrounding structures

Seminal vesicles

looks like bunny ears

Scrotum

Protects testes