Step 2: Finding Muscles

Basic knowledge about finding muscles on your pig:

1. Dissecting Vocabulary:

• Isolating a muscle- removing any excess connective tissue or fat surrounding the muscle and separating it from other muscles so that your blunt probe can lift up the muscle.

Some muscles like above are very large while others are much smaller

• Reflecting- When a superficial muscle is cut in order to identify deeper muscles that are located underneath it.

Unreflected muscle

Reflected muscle



Originate- The area at which a muscle connects and begins

Insert- The area at which a muscle ends and connects

2. Know the difference between muscle tissue and connective tisse/fat tissue.

• Muscle tissue is striated and a darker color than the connective tissue and fat. Connective tissues are a white-pinkish color, surround the muscles of the body, and need to be removed in order to isolate the muscle. If you can see your blunt probe through the tissue, than it is connective tissue or fat and your can rip through it (but still be careful).



Connective Tissue (blunt probe visible)

 

Muscle (blunt probe not visible)