EXPERIMENT 10

TITLE : DISSECTION OF THE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM OF THE RAT

REQUIREMENTS :
1. Microscope
2. Hand lens
3. Dissecting instruments
4. Thread
5. Cotton wool
6. Rubber gloves
7. Male rat
PROCEDURE :
A) Before Commencing The Dissection
1. The urinary and genital openings on the ventral side from Experiment
6, as shown in Figure 6.1 had identified. In the male, it had been noted
that there was only one urino-genital opening at the end of the penis.
2. The scrotal sacs which contain the testes in the male had also noticed.
3. The abdominal cavity had opened up as instructed on Experiment 6,
cutting round the urinary and genital openings (dotted line in Figure
6.1). The skin had pinned back and the body wall had cut in the usual
way.
4. The hepatic portal vein had ligatured and the gut had removed as
instructed on Figure 6.2 in Experiment 6.
5. The dissection of the reproductive apparatus procedure had proceeded
by first, noticing that the tubes leading to the urino-genital openings
are covered by a layer of muscle beneath which lies the pubis, part of
the pelvic girdle (Figure 8.1 A)
Figure 6.1, Figure 6.2 and Figure 8.1 A were shown in the Laboratory Manual.

B) Dissection Of Male Rat

1. One of the scrotal muscle sacs (dotted line on left-hand side of Figure
8.2 A) had cut open with scissors.
2. With forceps, the testis or the fat attached to it had grasp held, and it
was drew forwards. This pulls up the bottom of the scrotal sac had
noted, this was caused by the cauda epididymis was attached to it by
the gubernaculums, a strand of muscle whose contraction was
responsible for the descent of the testis during development.
3. The structures seen in Figure 8.2 B had identified.
4. The muscle overlying the pubis of the pelvic girdle had removed. With
large scissors, the pelvic girdle had cut through on either side of the
mid-line and the pubis (dotted lines in Figure 8.1 A) had removed. This
had exposed the urethra which leads into the penis.
5. The epididymis and vas deferens leading from the testis had identified.
The vas deferens had followed to the mid-line and it was ascertained,
along with its fellow from the other side, opens I to the anterior end of
the urethra.
6. The glands associated with the reproductive tract; a gland associated
with the inner end of each