Dissection of a house lizard

Objectives:

• Practice good laboratory practices and exhibit mastery in performing biological techniques
• Distinguish the structures present in different organ systems and how they relate to each other.
• Properly dissect a representative species.

Materials

• Laboratory gown • 70% alcohol

• Clean gloves • Tissue paper
• Goggles • Soap
• Surgical masks • Push pins
• Dissecting kit • Lizard
• Dissecting tray

Basic principles

Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species. They range in size
from chameleons and geckos a few centimeters long to the 3-meter-long Komodo dragon. Most lizards are quadrupedal,
running with a strong side-to-side motion.

The dentitions of lizards reflect their wide range of diets, including carnivorous, insectivorous, omnivorous,
herbivorous, nectivorous, and molluscivorous. Species typically have uniform teeth suited to their diet, but several
species have variable teeth, such as cutting teeth in the front of the jaws and crushing teeth in the rear.

Respiration is the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the lizard and its environment. The scales of
reptiles prevent them from absorbing oxygen through their skin, as amphibians can. Instead, reptiles breathe air only
through their lungs. However, their lungs are more efficient than the lungs of amphibians, with more surface area for
gas exchange.

The exchange of oxygen of the air for the carbon dioxide of the blood takes place in the respiratory organs and is
known as external respiration. The true respiration, resulting in the release of energy, occurs in the tissues by the
exchange of oxygen of blood for carbon dioxide of the tissues. This is known as internal or tissue respiration.

Procedures:

A. Preparation
1. Put on safety goggles, gloves, and lab gown/apron.
2. Place all the equipment, neatly arranged, on your work station.
B. Immobilizing the lizard
1. Hold the lizard away from your body.
2. Grasp the lizard with your first two fingers, first finger on the nose, and second finger under the jaw. Flex the
head forward (away from your body).
 3. Move the pointy end of the pin down midline until you reach the spot indicated by the red spot on the
diagram below:

4. Insert the pin quickly into the crainial vault and severe the brain and the spinal cord.
5. Move the pin into the cranial vault and move it from side to side do destroy the brain.
6. Test for reflexes to confirm that sensory perception has been destroyed and ensure that the spinal cord is
still intact, although it is now in shock.
NOTICE: The lizard may run, jump, or even make noise, but it is not pain. These actions are neural reflexes
controlled via motor senses in the spinal cord, not brain functions.

Lizard dissection

1. Place the immobilized lizard (belly up) on the dissecting tray.

2. Use the pins to hold the lizard in place. Put five pins, one on each claw, and one on the tail.
3. Cut the lizard open using a dissecting scissors (if available) or using your scalpel, from the neck down to the hind
limbs. Refer to the diagram below.

4. Lift and cut through the muscles using forceps and scalpel. Open the cut part sideways and use pins to hold the
skin in place and open for observation.
5. Use your scalpel, forceps, or probe to observe the different internal organs.
6. Identify the internal organs of the lizard. Refer to the image below.
a. Heart
b. Liver
c. Lungs
d. Stomach
e. Intestine
f. Ovaries
g. Kidney

7. Use colored pins or strings to properly identify and label the parts on your specimen.
8. Review the parts you labeled and have your instructor check your work once you are done.