We've already done a dissection for our human anatomy science class so this one should have been no big deal right? Well...it was a wee bit different this time since there was an eyeball looking at us the whole entire time! Crazy!! Crazy, but very cool, that is.
Zoey was pumped to have this lab to look forward to today. Wednesdays are our full days at home so we try and plan the fun stuff for then. This was definitely fun and interesting! We are following Guest Hollow's Human Anatomy study this year for science and this is one of 4 dissection labs that are worked into the curriculum for the year.
The cow eye (purchased from Homeschool Science Tools - thanks Grandma Sue and Grandpa Ross for helping by supporting our homeschool savings account!) was pretty fun to dissect, according to Zoey. I just watched and took photos from a safe distance away!
First she had to cut the fatty tissues and muscle away from the actual eyeball itself. She located the optic nerve on the posterior side of the eye after cleaning up all the excess tissue. Inside the eye, once she cut the eye in half, was a gelatinous fluid which is known as the vitreous humor. This was pretty interesting to Zoey and I both because we had just been in to the emergency room not too long ago where Zoey was given an ultrasound on both eyes and the doctor she had, actually talked to us about all the different parts of the eye, including this jelly like substance, the vitreous humor! Connections are an awesome thing!
She then had to carefully cut away the cornea of the eye (pictured in the above right corner photo) and locate the Sclera, Iris, and Lens of the eye viewing from the front of the anterior half of the eye.
She then got to remove the lens of the eye (pictured again in the above right corner of the photo above), this was very hard upon our inspection but we learned that when the cow was alive, the lens would have been very flexible, as well as clear.
She ended her dissection by viewing the posterior side of the eye where there is the retina, and a shiny, very thin tissue called the choroid coat. This, we learned, supplies the eye with blood and nutrients.
VERY interesting lab!! Zoey gave it a two thumbs up...I have to agree with her.
Happy homeschooling!
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