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How to Dissect a Salamander

Dissection is practiced in high school and college biology and anatomy classes, and it also occurs in research laboratories. Dissecting is often used simply to examine the physical makeup of the subject, but it is also a method of determining the physiological effects of substances. Salamanders are often used in classroom dissections because, like frogs, they are easy to manage and examine.

Things You'll Need

Dissecting tray
Ruler
Notepad
Pencil
Surgical gloves
Pins
Dissecting kit (scalpel, scissors, tweezers, probes)

Instructions

- 1
  Lay the subject salamander in a dissecting tray. Use a ruler to get measurements. Take notes on the salamander's external attributes that are pertinent to your purposes.
- 2
  Put on surgical gloves and stretch your salamander out. Use pins if necessary to secure the salamander for dissection.
- 3
  Make a small incision at the anus of the salamander with a scalpel from a dissecting kit. Insert scissors into the opening and cut the skin down the middle of the salamander until you reach the jaw. Point the scissors upward while doing this to avoid severing interior organs.
- 4
  Cut from the shoulder joints down the arms and legs of the salamander and then peel away the skin. Take any pertinent notes once the skin is removed and the muscle layer is revealed.
- 5
  Repeat the process in steps 3 and 4 to remove the muscle layer from the frog and reveal the internal organs. You have to cut through the sternum and chest plate when removing the muscle layer.
- 6
  Examine the internal organs and use the ruler to take measurements. Use the notebook and pencil to catalog the necessary details and observations.

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