Rat Reproductive System

Dissection

Pre-lab

• Prepare the dissection tray and equipment.• Put on your gloves.• Retrieve your rat from the tray in your cabinet.

• Remove the skin from around your rat and

place it in your zip-lock bag.• Lay the rat in the dissection tray ventral side

up.

Sharing Your Rat

• While one group at the table dissects the female rat, the other group will dissect the male rat.

• After you complete your section of the lab report, switch rats.

• Female begins at slide 4.• Male begins at slide 13.

Female Structures- Ovaries

Fallopian tube

Ovary

Look for the ovaries embedded in adipose tissue.

Female Structures- Ovaries

In the rat, the ovaries are located at the superior end of the uterine horn. In each picture, the probe is pointing to the ovaries.

Female structures- Ovaries

Note the blisters on the ovaries. These may be developing follicles which contain the secondary oocyte.

Female Structures: Uterus

This is the V-shaped uterine horn in a rat that is not pregnant

Female Structures: Uterus

The uterine horns meet at a structure called the "body of the uterus".

The body opens at the cervix into the vagina.

Note the bladder in the foreground.

Female structures: Uterus

This is the V shaped uterine horn in a pregnant rat.

The rat embryos are developing in these horns.

Female Structures- Uterus

A uterine horn containing well developed embryos.

Female Structures that Support the Developing Embryo

A very immature embryo

Male Structures-Scrotum

Scrotum

Scrotum- TestesCut open the scrotum and scrotal sacs to reveal the epididymis and testes.

Epididymis

Testes

Male Structures- Vas Deferens

Male Structures- Seminal VesiclesSeminal vesicle

Male Structures- Prostate Gland

The rat has two prostate glands located under the bladder. A male human only has one prostate gland.

bladder

Male Structures- Penis

If it has not already been done, cut anteriorly into the urogenitalopening. This will expose the penis.

Clean-up

Place your rat in your zip-lock bag and throw the bag with the rat in the garbage. No tears please.

Clean and dry your instruments.

Forever