Name:_________________BoWang/Nathan_________________ Period:__2____

Date:___2024/7/2________

Sheep Brain Dissection

Step 1: Gather supplies

▪ Sheep Brain Dissection Picture Guide ▪ Dissecting tray and instruments
▪ Gloves ▪ Plastic bag for disposal
Step 2: Orient the sheep brain and remove the meninges
➢ Be sure that you can identify the anterior, posterior, superior and inferior of your sheep brain. If you need
help refer to Figure 1 in your Sheep Brain Dissection Picture Guide.
➢ The brain is covered by fluid filled membranes or meninges. Take your scalpel and carefully strip off the
meninges from the cortex. Be careful not to dig into the cortex itself.
Step 3: Identify key brain structures
➢ Lay your sheep brain right side up (sagittal view) and compare it with Figure 1 in the Sheep Brain Dissection
Picture Guide.
➢ Take a minute and sketch this view of your sheep brain in the box below.
Label the following structures:

Spinal cord

❏ Cerebellum

❏ Frontal lobe

❏ Parietal lobe

❏ Temporal lobe

❏ Occipital lobe

❏ Central sulcus

❏ Longitudinal fissure
➢ Lay your brain bottom side up (posterior view)and compare it with Figure 2 in the Sheep Brain Dissection
Picture Guide.
➢ Take a minute and sketch this view of your sheep brain in the box below.

➢
Label the following structures:
❏ Spinal cord

❏ Optic chiasm

❏ Left optic nerve

❏ Right optic nerve

❏ Olfactory bulbs

Can you see any of the cranial nerves? If so, label the cranial nerves you can see on your sketch.
Cranial nerves are circled with red circles.
Step 4: Make a sagittal cut to reveal the subcortical structures of the brain
➢ To reveal the inner structures of the brain, you will next cut the brain in half lengthwise, or sagittally.
Beginning between the left and right frontal lobes, use your scalpel to make a careful cut to separate the
two hemispheres. As you move backwards to the cerebellum use the midline of the cerebellum to make
sure you divide the brain exactly in two. Once you have finished cutting, open the brain like a book to reveal
the subcortical structures.
➢ Put the right side of the brain to one side. Place the left side of the brain in front of you with the subcortical
structures facing up, and compare it with Figure 3 in the Sheep Brain Dissection Picture Guide.
➢ Take a minute and sketch this view of your sheep brain in the box below.

Label the following:

❏ Corpus callosum

❏ Thalamus

❏ Hypothalamus

❏ Cerebellum

❏ Midbrain

❏ Pons

❏ Medulla

❏ Spinal cord
Step 5: Make a coronal cut to reveal the grey and white matter of the brain
➢ Take the left side of the brain and using your scalpel cut the frontal lobe from top to bottom. This is a
coronal cut and will reveal the grey and white matter of the cortex. Examine the interior of the cortex and
compare it to Figure 4 in the Sheep Brain Dissection Picture Guide.
➢ Take a minute and sketch this view of your sheep brain in the box below.

Label:

❏ grey matter

❏ white matter

The grey matter contains the neuron’s cell bodies, and the white matter contains the myelinated axons traveling
to and from the cortex.
Step 6: Clean up
❏ Instruments are cleaned with soap and water and dried
❏ Dissection tray is cleaned with soap and water and dried
❏ Work station is cleaned
❏ Sinks are wiped of water