American Board of Forensic Dentistry

Nobody promised that studying forensic science would be neat and clean. Belinda Sewell's students at Bob Jones High School are learning about human anatomy by performing autopsies on pigs.

The procedures were patterned after human autopsies, Sewell said. The autopsies are part of the forensic pathology unit.

The unusual classroom study was funded by a $1,000 grant from the Huntsville Area Technical Societies with its Science and Technology Education and Training program.

Sewell chose pigs because their anatomy is similar to humans. "There are some differences but, for the most part, students are able to make a good comparison between the two."

The class used fetal pigs, which measure 10 to 12 inches in length. The pigs are preserved in Formalin.

Students primarily followed the same procedure as a medical examiner. "They started with the 'Y' incision. From there, they removed all of the organs," Sewell said. For each organ, they took written observations, measurements and photos. "Once they were finished, the organs were returned to the body. The body was sutured for burial," she said.

The Bob Jones students were excited about this new venture. "Most could not wait to get started," Sewell said.

Fortunately, no one got sick during the procedures. "I did have a few that were really squeamish at first about the cutting. But once they got started with the organs, they were fine," she said.

Sewell included the autopsy to incorporate a maximum of real-world experience in the classroom. This activity allows them to consider the demands of a medical examiner's work.

Ayesha Iqbal, a Bob Jones junior, realized that the autopsies would allow students to understand many details about pigs. "I have learned a lot about the internal and external features of a fetal pig, compared to the human body," Iqbal said.

Learning about the autopsies, Will Hatcher, a senior, said the first thought that ran through his mind was, "Sweet. This'll be exciting."

For more information about HATS' programs visit www.hats.org/stedtrain/stedtr.shtml.

Reference:

Parker, G. (2009, December 23). Utopsies on pigs help learn forensics. The Huntsville Times Retrieved January 8, 2010, frohttp://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/madison.ssf?/base/news/1261563311107800.xml&coll=1