Skeletal and Muscular Systems: Comparing Limbs Lab

INTRODUCTION:

How is the structure of skeletal muscles and bones related to the functions of these
body parts? Although humans sometimes use all four limbs to move around, most of
the time humans use their legs and arms for distinctly different functions. Legs
support the body and carry it from place to place while arms lift and carry objects.

Despite these differences in tasks, arms and legs have similar overall structures. The
upper part of each limb is supported by two bones. Pairs of opposing muscles move
the bones around their respective joints.

Do the limbs of other vertebrates have similar arrangements of bones and muscles?
For example, is the wing of a bird similar to a human arm? In this lab, you will begin
by comparing the motion of arms and legs. Then, you will dissect a chicken wing and
compare its internal structure to that of a human arm.

MATERIALS:

Disposable plastic gloves Dissecting scissors

Chicken wing Forceps
Dissection tray Colored pencils or markers

SAFETY:

Disease-causing species of Salmonella bacteria may be present on raw chicken. To

avoid infection, wear gloves and avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Use the
dissecting scissors only as instructed to avoid injuring yourself and others. Dispose of
materials only as instructed by your teacher. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap
and warm water before leaving the lab.

PROCEDURE AND OBSERVATIONS:

Part A: Observe the motion of human limbs.

1. Extend (straighten) your right arm with the palm facing down and place two
fingers of your left hand on the tip of your right elbow. Bend your right arm and
then straighten it out. Describe any movement at the tip of your elbow.

2. Extend your right arm with the palm facing down and place two fingers of your
left hand on the tip of your right elbow. Keep your arm straight while you rotate
your hand so that your palm faces up, and then rotate your hand back to its
original position. Describe any movement at the tip of your elbow.

3. Keep your right arm extended with the palm facing down. Place the fingers of
your left hand under your right forearm just above the wrist. Rotate your hand
so that your palm faces up, and then rotate your hand back to its original
position. Describe what you feel.
 4. Sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor. Place the fingertips of your right
hand on the middle of your kneecap. Raise your lower leg. Describe what
happens to your kneecap.

5. Raise your lower leg again. Try to turn your foot so that the sole (bottom) of the
foot is facing up. Describe what happens.

6. Look at the drawings in Figure 1. Identify the muscles that bend and
straighten the elbow and knee joints.

Figure 1. Muscles in a human arm and leg

Part B: Examine a chicken wing.

7. Put on goggles and gloves. Place a chicken wing in the dissecting tray and
observe its structure. On the drawing in Figure 2, label the upper wing, lower
wing, upper joint, lower joint, and wing tip.

Figure 2. Muscles in a chicken wing

8. Bend and straighten the joint between the upper wing and the lower wing. Bend
the joint between the lower wing and the wing tip. Describe what you
observe.

9. You will next cut the skin of the upper wing from the shoulder to the first joint. To
start the cut, slide the tip of one blade under the skin at the shoulder. Lift up the
skin as you cut to avoid damaging the tissues beneath the skin. Make a second
cut on the opposite side of the wing. CAUTION: Handle the scissors carefully to
avoid injuring yourself and others.

10. Use your fingers to peel away the skin from the upper wing. To completely
remove the skin, you will need to carefully cut the bits of connective tissue that
attach the skin to the muscles.

11. Repeat steps 9 and 10 to remove the skin from the lower wing.

12. After you remove the skin, use the forceps or your fingers to gently
separate the muscles from one another. Use the space below to make a sketch
that shows the muscles.

13. Pull on each muscle, one at a time, to see whether the muscle bends or
straightens a joint. Identify the opposing pairs of muscles and color-code these
pairs on your drawing.

14. Trace each muscle to the joint between the upper and lower wing. Cut the
shiny white tendons that connect the muscles to the joint and peel back the
muscles. In the space below, sketch the arrangement of the bones around the
joint.
 15. When you are finished, follow your teachers instructions for disposal of
the chicken wings, dissecting trays, gloves, and paper towels. Wash the scissors
and forceps and any surfaces you might have touched while doing the
dissection. When you are done, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and
warm water.

CONCLUSION

1. How was the motion at your elbow joint similar to the motion at your knee joint?
How was it different?

2. How is the ability to rotate the bones in the forearm an advantage for humans?

3. How is it an advantage for the human knee to have a smaller range of motion
than the human elbow?

4. In the chicken wing, where were the muscles that bend and straighten the joint
between the upper and lower wing located?

5. Identify structures in the chicken wing that are homologous to bones and joints
in the human arm. Use Figure 32-1 in your textbook, Figure 1 in this lab, and
your observations of the chicken wing.