Beginning in February, the Medical Society offered a weekly cat dissection, led by Ms. Clark. The dissection focused on learning about the anatomy of cats, and how that relates to humans. In the first two dissections, students began investing the cats by scraping away the outer layer of fat. In the next class, the students were educated about the feline muscles, including their location, function, and appearance. In this dissection lesson, a document containing the primary muscles of cats was provided to the students to help them identify and label each muscle on the real cats.
“THE CAT DISSECTION IS a great, low stakes way for students to be curious and learn. We spend about 5 weeks looking at THE CAT’S SYSTEMS and how THEY systems are connected. ALSO, We COMPARE AND CONTRAST between a cat’S AND A HUMAN’S STRUCTURES.” – Ms. Clark
During the following week, the student groups proceeded with the cat dissection until they reached the heart. Upon removal of the heart from the cat, the students examined its structure and inspected its shape.
“Dissecting the heart of the cat was a really cool experience, and it was my favorite part of the dissection by far.” – Caiden Pendola ’25
During the final week of the dissection, the students cut into the center of the cat, and proceeded to dissect its intestines. The students examined both the large and small intestines, as well as the stomach and liver. Throughout this process, Ms. Clark continued to instruct each group on the feline anatomy, and how it correlates with the anatomy of humans.
The Medical Society holds meetings on the first Monday of every month, and anyone can join! In each of these general meetings, a medical professional gives a speech about their individual career, job, and path to becoming a physician. Snacks are provided, so please come to a meeting and learn more about the Medical Society and the field of healthcare.