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The gory bits: Mr Vivi’s all ovary reproduction specimens this term

bovine ovaries at Dissection Connection
bovine ovaries at Dissection Connection
Bovine ovaries at Dissection Connection

Are you doing reproduction in your curriculum this term? Mr Vivi’s all ovary it. Don’t let other suppliers testis you with delays in supply, he has you covered there too. Further more, you won’t have to drive your uterus to the abattoir, he’ll send it all right to your door. 😉

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6 Oct 2015

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Meet Miss Vivi: Toad euthanasia, 3D printing & a piglet on the chopping block

MakerBot 5th Gen 3D printers Credit: MakerBot®

toad euthanasia workshop by Dissection Connection

Save The Date!
Monday 19 October for
Workshops at Varsity College

With the final Student Free Day for the year looming Jaimie and I think it is high time we came south and brought some of our special brand of fun to you.

Workshop topics will include:

  • How to get away with murder: hands on toad euthanasia workshop using the current approved CO2 protocol
  • Stillborn piglet dissection: how to get the best bang for your buck
  • Meet the MakerBot: We’ve partnered with Berwicks Office Technology to bring you 3D printers for the classroom that come with THOUSANDS of free projects as well as the ability to 3D print almost anything your imagination can come up with

If you have an idea for a session or would like to run one on another topic then feel free to get in touch.

This is an ideal opportunity to get good quality PD right in your own backyard, so please encourage your colleagues to come along.  The workshops are open to all lab techs, teachers and any staff who are interested.

We’ve recently showcased the MakerBot 3D printer at a conference at Sydney Grammar and a teacher mentioned that he thinks it will be an fantastic tool for his special needs students – particularly for vision impaired kids.  Please let your colleagues know they can come and see it in action on October 19.

Varsity College have been kind enough to agree host us.  Cost will be kept to a minimum to cover consumables and Miss Vivi will organise some morning tea.

We will keep you posted on the final details of the program and open registration in the first week of next term.

Don’t forget to share this invitation with your local network as well – we don’t know everyone, it just feels like it!

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Top Tip: Simulated Blood Powder Preparation

SIMUBLOOD2

To make up the solution, introduce 500mL of hot water into a beaker on a
magnetic stirrer.  Add the powder and leave to stir until it is all dissolved.

To test for complete dissolution scrape a bit up the side of the beaker using a
spatula. If the powder is not fully dissolved you will see small dark spots in the
liquid.

The sachet contains enough powder to make 1L of solution, but when I made
up a sample I dissolved the powder in 500mL and I thought the consistency was
just right.

When the powder is fully dissolved make the solution your desired consistency
by adding more water to a maximum volume of 1L.

To add ‘blood clots’ make a batch of port wine jelly and freeze it. Break up the
frozen jelly into pieces and mix with the artificial blood solution.

The solution is based on methyl cellulose so it’s probably best stored in the
fridge.

This product is sold as blood simulant for medical training centres and also as
stage blood. Mr Vivi put a dollop on the back of his hand and it stained him for
a couple of days.

Here’s a brilliant, very easy blood spatter experiment you can do without having to pull special equipment together –>>

DC2013_060

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Special Specimens: it’s a heart, Jim, but not as we know it

unusual pig heart

Sometimes something so unusual appears that we can’t help ourselves and we have to cut it up ourselves. This heart presented us with one of those times.

On the outside it was rough textured and the tissue was very soft.  It was easy to pull a piece off with your fingers.

On the inside the right side chambers had a few differences to a normal heart.  The right atrium and ventricle were both very circular in shape compared to a typical heart.  The pectinate muscles and the trabeculae carnae were almost non-existent so inside the right side chambers was very smooth.

There was a layer of tissue on the outside that was obviously different to the rest of the myocardium.

The pericardium was separate and appeared quite normal, as did the rest of the pluck.

At the outset we thought we might have a parasitic infection and were a bit disappointed to find no evidence of it when we opened up the heart.  Perhaps it was a congenital defect or a viral infection that caused it?  If anyone has any insight into what we had then we’d love to hear it.   Drop us a line here.

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