On Wednesday, classes VWh and VWe took part in a lamb heart dissection.
After a safety talk and wearing the appropriate PPE, Miss. Whipps demonstrated before letting the children crack on with it themselves in pairs.
The children could identify the visceral fat on the external surface of the heart, which lead to a discussion about excess fat and the potential effect on the arteries. We identified the major structures like the aorta, atria, ventricles, bicuspid and tricuspid valves and other internal structures.
The children could really see how thick the left hand walls were compared to the right as the left hand side pumps oxygenated blood. The key difference between left and right side of heart is that the type of blood circulates: oxygenated blood flows via left side of heart (systemic circulation) whilst deoxygenated blood flows via the right side (pulmonary circulation). Therefore, the right side of the heart is physically smaller because it pumps blood only to the lungs.
It was great for the classes to get hands- on experience!
