Assignment: Dogfish Shark Dissection

(http://www.zoology.ubc.ca/courses/bio204/lab3_frameset.htm)
Fill in the table with the functions of the digestive tract, comparing the digestive system
of a mammal with Necturus and the Dogfish. For equivalent structures, write same,
absent or the new structure.

Organ

Function in Mammal

Esophagus

Function in mammal is to allow a

passageway for both food to be lead
into the digestive system and for air
to be lead into the lungs/respitory
system

Stomach

Stomach is the pouch in which

chemical digestion begins. It is filled
with stomach acid that is designed to
begin to break down food and allow
the food to then continue into the rest
of the digestive system

Pyloric
sphincter

The Pyloric sphintor is a gland that

is found where the stomach and small
intestine join. Its function is to
restrict the flow of food from the
stomach into the small intestine

Small
intestine

The small intestine is a long tubeular

shaped intestine thats main function
in chemical digestion. The small
intestine streched for a very ling time
and its main function is to absorb all
the nutreints found in the now liquid
food

Video Link

Dogfish
Equivalent
Dogfish have an
esophagus but its
only function is
to lead the food
into the digestive
system as
opposed to
leading ari into
the lungs
J shaped
stomach that has
the same
function as a
regualr mammal
stomach

Pyloic sphicter
is found between
the stomach and
small intestine
and has the same
function as that
of the mammal
equivialant
instead of a
small and large
intestine there is
a small intestine
with a vaulvular
intestine thats
function is to act
as the larger
portion of the
small intestine

Large
intestine

Large intestine is a long tube shaped

structure thats main function is the
absorb water out of the food

look at small
intestine
description

Caecum

The casecum is a section in the

intestions thats primary function is to
absorb the remain salts and liquids
that remain after the initianal
digestion and it connects the large
and small intestines together
The anus is the end of the large
intestine that expells the waste in
solid form. It is a muscular opening
and is the exit location for the bodies
waste

not found in
dogfish shark

Anus

Pancreas

the pancreas is a gland found in

mammals that plays an important role
in digestion because it makes
enzymes that break down proteins
fats and carbs and it also produces
hormones that help control blood
suagr regulation

Spleen

the spleed normally acts as a blood

filter that tests the blood for foreign
sustances and then sends signals to
the body that then release white
blood cells accordingly

the dogfish
shark doesnt
have an anus but
it has a cloaca
opening that
releases the
waste into the
enviornment but
with similar
structure to a
mammalian anus
the pancreas is
found on the
dogfish shark
and has the same
function as the
pancreas found
in mammals

the spleen is
also found in the
dogfish shark
and has the same
function as that
of a mammalian
spleen

Gall
bladder

A gall bladders main function is to

produce bile that coats the intestines
and the digested food coninuing
through the system

The gallbaldder
was found in the
dogfish shark
and its function
remains
equivilant to that
of the mammal
version

Liver

The liver is a large organ that

processes the bodies liquids. It takes
up a lot of room within the system.

The liver is also

found in the
dogfish shark
and retains the
same function
but it is very
large due to the
fac thtat the
ocean has a lot of
ecternal chemical
factors that need
to be filtered
through the liver
more than that of
the mammal
equivilant

https://drive.google.com/open?
id=0Byti2vZWFQdcc04zLWF0NFEyTE1tYnVGMlN4RU1yMlB6MW9v
Video of disection of intentional cavity
Please note some of the pictures are repeated because multiple organs are visible in the
image
Notes from first looking at the shark 10:12 AM 5/10
The sharks tail is mostly broken
~89 cm long
Its skin is leathery
Thin and flat fins
Jagged edges
pupil is oval-shaped
Dots around the mouth
5 larger gills above the fin
White color on the bottom

Dark gray color on its back

Vein-looking structures on the tail
Stripes that could be the skeleton are visible
3 white spots along the side of the shark above the side fins
Triangular-shaped nose
Top fin is small
Non-symmetrical back fin, the top of the fin is longer than the bottom
Striped texture on the fins
Teeth are very small
Jaw is clamped down
1 row of teeth visible
Teeth on top and bottom of jaw
Small indents that look like dots for the nose
We think its a male shark