Dissection - Are There Any Benefits?

Dissection is just one of the approaches to teaching science that creates a lasting impression in the mind. What do you remember most about biology? Is it the dry textbook? Likely you recall the hands-on activities that you did. Despite the squeamish reactions of some students, frog dissection has many benefits. Amid the scissors, specimens, and unforgettable aroma of the lab you will discover specific lessons that extend beyond basic biology. The most obvious value revolves around the tactile experience, but students also learn respect for life and proper dissection skills that will be helpful in higher level lab classes.

Digital photography has evolved to the point that frog dissection can be captured beautifully in science textbooks and on virtual dissection websites. But pictures of frog dissection cannot replace a real life experience. A hands-on lab allows a student to understand the true positioning and feel for organs that just can't be expressed in the flat format of a book or computer monitor.

In the hands of a good mentor, any specimen lab, whether it is a fetal pig dissection, or even an earthworm dissection, can teach respect for life. Unnecessary damage to a preserved specimen should never be allowed even though the animal has already been humanely euthanized. This is the perfect time for young people to understand that there is much to learn about the creatures around us and that they depend upon us for proper care and protection. Engage older students in a conversation about ethics in science.

Although it may seem unimportant at this stage in life, good dissection skills can help a student in higher level science classes. Learning the proper procedure for frog dissection teaches following directions, observation skills, fine motor skills, the interrelationship between organs and tissue, and develops the ability to "feel" the body without seeing what is lying underneath. Many of these skills will be used in college level biology classes and some will be used in high school and college level chemistry and physics as well. If your student plans a career in any area of medicine, frog dissection or fetal pig dissection should be a requirement in high school.

Dissection bestows numerous benefits upon science students, but is not the end-all to biology lab exercises. If a student protests despite being informed of the reasons behind the activity, his values should be respected and a viable alternative sought.