Anatomy Amazement and Physiology Fascination

The Year 12 Biology students in Mrs Lloyd and Ms Lach’s classes have been fully immersed in learning about the fascinating adaptations of mammals, fish and insects in preparation for their final internal assessment of the year. First, students explored the gas exchange system of a fish. They looked at Sea Perch gills and marvelled at the robust, spiky operculum protecting the fragile filaments underneath. One unexpected highlight was finding a tongue-eating louse inside one of the buccal cavities of the fish. The female parasite eats the tongue of her host and then replaces it with her own body, feeding off of some of the delicious food found by the fish. The smaller male lives within the gills. What a super discovery!

But the fun didn’t stop there. Students also had the privilege of visiting the University of Otago Medical Department’s Human Anatomy Museum. This museum is not open to the public as it contains human limbs and organs that have been preserved using various methods including plastination. It was a unique experience and students respected the donors by ensuring they did not take photos while inside the museum.

Finally, students were able to dissect a deer pluck, which is the heart and lungs of the deer. It was incredible to see just how much the lungs could expand when we filled them with air. This helped us understand how our own lungs work and allowed us to understand that they are not just empty ‘balloons’ that fill with air, but instead they consist of millions of very small alveoli. We also followed the trachea down through the bronchi and bronchioles and watched how they became smaller and smaller as we moved deeper into the lungs.

These experiences allowed us to truly appreciate the intricacies of body systems and appreciate how well-adapted they are to perform their functions effectively.