Fetal pig

Fetal pigs are unborn pigs used in elementary as well as advanced biology classes as objects for dissection. Pigs, as a mammalian species, provide a good specimen for the study of physiological systems and processes due to the similarities between many pig and human organs. Fetal pigs are unborn pigs used in elementary as well as advanced biology classes as objects for dissection. Pigs, as a mammalian species, provide a good specimen for the study of physiological systems and processes due to the similarities between many pig and human organs. Along with frogs and earthworms, fetal pigs are among the most common animals used in classroom dissection. There are several reasons for this, the main reason being that pigs, like humans, are mammals. Shared traits include common hair, mammary glands, live birth, similar organ systems, metabolic levels, and basic body form. They also allow for the study of fetal circulation, which differs from that of an adult. Secondly, fetal pigs are easy to obtain because they are by-products of the pork industry. Fetal pigs are the unborn piglets of sows that were killed by the meat packing industry. These pigs are not bred and killed for this purpose, but are extracted from the deceased sow’s uterus. Fetal pigs not used in classroom dissections are often used in fertilizer or simply discarded. Thirdly, fetal pigs are cheap, which is an essential component for dissection use by schools. They can be ordered for about $30 at biological product companies. Fourthly, fetal pigs are easy to dissect because of their soft tissue and incompletely developed bones that are still made of cartilage. In addition, they are relatively large with well-developed organs that are easily visible. As long as the pork industry exists, fetal pigs will be relatively abundant, making them the prime choice for classroom dissections. Several peer-reviewed comparative studies have concluded that the educational outcomes of students who are taught basic and advanced biomedical concepts and skills using non-animal methods are equivalent or superior to those of their peers who use animal-based laboratories such as animal dissection. A systematic review concluded that students taught using non-animal methods demonstrated “superior understanding of complex biological processes, increased learning efficiency, and increased examination results.” It also reported that students’ confidence and satisfaction increased as did their preparedness for laboratories and their information-retrieval and communication abilities. Three studies at universities across the United States found that students who modeled body systems out of clay were significantly better at identifying the constituent parts of human anatomy than their classmates who performed animal dissection. Another study found that students preferred using clay modeling over animal dissection and performed just as well as their cohorts who dissected animals. The size of the fetal pig depends on the time allowed for the mother to gestate: No studies have found significant data regarding the mother swine’s diet and fetal pig survival rate. However, there is a correlation between a mother pig having a nutritious diet containing proteins, vitamins and minerals during gestation period and the survival rate of piglets. The correlation, however, is not statistically different. Weight is also not a factor of survival rate because a healthier diet does not lead to a heavier offspring or a greater chance of live birth. The placenta is used as a means of transferring nutrients from the mother to the fetus. The efficiency at which nutrients are transferred dictates the health and growth of the fetus. FRP, or fetal weight: placental weight ratio, was commonly used to determine placental efficiency. However, increasing FPR does not prove to increase litter size. Instead, a more accurate way of determining fetus growth is through certain characteristics of the placental lining. The placenta is made of a folded trophoblast/endometrial epithelial bilayer. The width and length of the placenta folds are positively related and increase as gestation progresses.