Vertebrate Anatomy 1

What animal are we using?

rat

What is the vibrissae of a rat?

whiskers, are long, stiff, sensory hairs found on the face of rats

What are the incisor teeth?

flat, chisel-shaped teeth located at the front of the mouth — specialized for gnawing

What is the pinna?

external part of the ear, also known as the auricle — helps collect and funnel sound waves into the ear canal

What else does the pinna do?

it plays a role in temperature regulation in some species

What is the prepuce?

foreskin, a fold of skin that covers and protects the head (glans) of the penis

What is the scrotal sac?

pouch of skin and muscle located outside the body that contains and protects the testes (testicles)

What two structures do only males have?

prepuce & scrotal sac

What is between the clitoris and anus in females?

the vaginal orifice

What is the cranial region?

part that includes the skull and brain

What is the pectoral region?

the chest

Where is the pectoral region?

under the cranial region

What is the thorax?

part of the body located between the neck and the abdomen — houses heart & lungs

Where is the abdomen located?

under the thorax

Where is the pelvic region?

under the abdomen

What is the caudal region?

lower part or tail end of the body

Where is the caudal region?

under the pelvic region

What did we do in lab this week?

skinned a rate - separated some of the skin from the muscle underneath

What is the humerus?

long bone in the upper arm, extending from the shoulder to the elbow

What is the scapula?

shoulder blade

What is the radius bone?

long bone in the forearm, is located on the lateral (thumb) side of the forearm when the palm is facing upward

What is the ulna bone?

long bone in the forearm, located on the medial (pinky) side of the forearm when the palm is facing forward — behind radius bone

What is the patella?

kneecap, is a small, triangular-shaped bone located at the front of the knee joint

What is the tibia?

shinbone, larger and stronger of the two bones in the lower leg, located on the medial (inner) side of the leg

What is the fibula?

long bone in the lower leg, located on the lateral (outer) side of the leg, next to the tibia

What is the femur?

single long bone located in the upper portion of the hindlimb, connects the pelvis (hip region) to the tibia (shin bone) at the knee joint

What does the femur do?

supports the weight of the body and facilitates movement, such as walking, running, and jumping

What does cranial mean?

direction towards the head

Caudal?

direction toward the tail or the lower part of the body

Dorsal?

back or upper side of an organism

Ventral?

front or underside of an organism

Proximal?

location that is closer to the point of attachment or the center of the body

Distal?

location that is farther from the point of attachment or the center of the body

What kind of rat did we have?

Norway Rat

What kind of species is the Norway rat?

old world species

When and how did the Norway rat travel to North America?

in the 1700s on european ships