Through the study of fetal pigs, students can deepen their understanding of human health and physiology. While only a minority of students choose to go into a healthcare profession, everyone will struggle with illness at some point in their lives. Moreover, the anatomical similarity of pigs compared to humans makes them the ideal specimen to learn about human anatomy. Said Andrew Goldenkranz, who teaches ninth-grade biology, “So we can establish everything we’ve learned about populations in either genetics or evolution, but you can only do that when you have a population of pigs that you’re working with.” The hearts are then be measured, weighed, and compared with data from peers to answer critical questions related to variation and natural selection learned in earlier units. A component of the dissection involves removing the heart of the fetal pig. The dissection allows students to establish concepts learned throughout the school year, such as genetics or population. The skills learned by students through performing dissections are valuable assets to them even after leaving an academic environment and are not easily replaced with alternative methods.įor students at Cupertino High School, one of the most memorable parts of their freshman experience is the fetal pig dissection. Growing concern over the ethicality of dissection, as well as developing technology allowing for cruelty-free alternatives has raised the question in many school districts across the country: should dissection be removed from school curriculums?Īnimal dissections are an overall beneficial and productive use of dead animals, given that they are utilized and sourced under ethical conditions. However, with over twelve million animals used for dissection each year, the widespread practice has gathered substantial opposition, especially towards the ethics of the issue. Animal dissection is a common activity performed in high school biology classes across North America, typically involving pigs, frogs, mice, or worms.
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