Techniques for Animal Preparation
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Angel Vodenicharov, Genadi Kostadinov, Ivaylo Stefanov, Nikolay Tsandev, Hristo Hristov Techniques for animal preparation First edition Stara Zagora 2017 Academic press „Trakia University” ISBN 978-954-338-135-7 1 Content 1. Processing of bones.................................................................................................5 2. Preparing of long-lasting anatomical speciments- wet and dry method.....................................................................................................................9 3. Making long-lasting preparations from hollow organs....................................................13 4. Making corrosive preparations.........................................................................................20 5. Conservation of biological objects...................................................................................23 2 Preface Preparation (from Latin „prepare” - to prepare) is one of the oldest methods of studying the anatomy of the animal body. That includes many techniques of preparing of whole cadavers or just body parts with the purpose of creating models for studying or exhibition in museums. The methods given in this guide are mostly for educational purposes. There are techniques for preparing bones, joints, moist (wet) and dry long-lasting anatomical models from whole cadavers, parts of them or internal organs. Methods of filling the vascular system or cavities with silicone or incorporating biological objects in polymer resins are described too. The practical exercises of the course aim to help creating habits and skills of students to work with professional tools, as well as to enrich their knowledge of anatomy of domestic animals. The prepared anatomical models are used to periodically renewel of the museum collection at the department. This practical guide is written using the long professional experience in conducting of workshops of many authors and mostly thanks to the enthusiasm and love for anatomy of Assist. Prof. Asen Dechev, who left the university not long ago. The material is coordinated with the elective course „Techniques of animal preparation”. The guide aims to the English speaking students of veterinary medicine, but could be useful to anyone interested in this matter. The authors 3 Processing of bones mandibulae to angulus mentalis. The sublingual apparatus (bone) is removed Stages in preparation and and in the end the brain- through foramen magnum with a curette. processing of bones The preparing of long-lasting 2. Maceration preparations of bones includes the following steps: There are two types of maceration- biological and chemical. Biological maceration: The processed material the 1. Removal of skin and muscles object is put in a container filled with water for several days at room temperature. 2. Leaving the material in water As a result the soft tissues begin to rot and (maceration) decompose because of the development of 3. Boiling bacteria. Chemical maceration: It can be 4. Cooling performed using organic or inorganic 5. Mechanical processing compounds. Tripsine or pepsine are 6. Degreasing organic compounds, which at appropriate temperature of water decompose the soft 7. Bleaching tissues and require specifical temperature 8. Further processing to work. The inorganic compounds are bases (potassium, or sodium hydroxide) Preparation of the bones of the and acids (hydrochloric). The duration of head process is usually from 24 to 48 hours. 1. Removal of the skin and muscles The skin is removed with a 3. Boiling longitudinal section through the median The skeleton of the head is line of the head from caudal to rostral side immersed into a container with enough leading up to 1-2cm close to the mouth. water. If are any horn formations dip them After that, a transversal cut is made to the until their base. The horn capsule should edge of the nose, leaving the skin of the be left on. If we aim to remove the capsule, nostrils and lips intact. A circular incision the horns must be immersed too, wrapped of the skin around the orbital margin аnd at with a gauze for 10-15min, because they the base of the horns (in case that they are can damage easily. developed) is made. The skin of the rest of The duration of boiling process is the head is removed including the auricles. around 1 – 2 h in low boiling water, As a result of this, during boiling, it is depending of the age of the animal. In the avoided premature softening of cartilage water are added some detergent and located in front of the face. The skin left sodium bicarbonate. The process continues around the lips keeps the cartilages from until all muscles and fascia and tendons overboiling. On the other hand, removal of begin to separate without effort. should the skin reduces the time for boiling and separate easily. Better results are obtained prevents contamination of the bone, that by adding calcined soda. may lead to change the color due to In case of separating the horn impurities, adhering to the coat. A medial capsule it can be removed after 10 - 15 incision is made on the mandibular in order minutes of boiling with rotational to remove the tongue - between recessus movement in lateral and medial direction. sublingualis lateralis and angulus 4 If it cannot be separated from the 6. Degreasing (Defatting) underlying layer, should be boiled again. Overboiling should not be allowed Degreasing (fat trimming) of the because the horns will fade in color. After bones is recommended to be performed removal of the capsule, the soft tissues before bleaching to preserve their white located on the inner surface should be color for a long time. This is not always scraped with a curette in order to prevent possible, because the remaining fat in the decay. It must be work carefully because bone gradually penetrates the bone the horn capsule is softened and could be substance and becomes visible. To perforated. maintain the pleasant white color of the bones, the fat must be extracted as much as 4. Cooling possible from them. These bones, that are not defatted, temporary retain it is white The cooling process is performed color, but later it changes to yellow or using cold water. If it doesn’t this the hot yellow-brown. That’s why the bones must soft tissues would stick firmly to the bones, be immersed in organic solvent - pure making it difficult to separate them. gasoline, acetone, aether or chloroform to Immediately after that the skin, left on the extract the fats. These chemicals are very nasal bone should be removed. flammable and must be kept away from heated objects (burning stove, cigarettes, etc.) The fumes of these substances are too 5. Mechanical processing volatile and harmful to the health. It is necessary after the material is dipped, the It starts with thoroughly removal of container to be covered with nylon canvas, the residual soft tissues from the surface of which must be fixed. An indicator that the bones using a fine brush. The curettage shows, that the fat is extracted from the of the soft tissues on the outer surface of bones, is the formation of drops of fat in the horn process of frontal bone should be the solvent. Degreasing usually lasts 2-3 performed carefully to avoid damage of days and sometimes longer, depending on porous parts of the bone. When cleaning the type of organic solvent. the nasal cavity should aim to preserve as much as possible the integrity of the 7. Bleaching ethmoidal labyrinth, nasal septum and turbinate bones. The curettage of the soft The bleaching is performed in a tissues inside the proc. cornualis of the non-metallic container. The moist bone is frontal bone must be performed carefully washed twice with 30% hydrogen not to take too much of the porous bone. In peroxide. Thus, it is achieved the this cases it is done through foramen prolongation of the time for the penetration magnum. The eyeballs with the optic nerve of the chemical deeply into the bone. After are carefully removed, without disturbing that the skeleton of the head is wrapped the integrity of the bone orbita. The nerves, with a gauze or cotton and then is placed in that go through the holes, must be pulled a suitable container to continue its out with tweezers (pincettes). Finally the bleaching. First the sheath is moistened muscles and the periosteum of the with 10% hydrogen peroxide and after that mandibula are removed. sprinkled with a spoon 30% ammonia. Since the released fumes are irritating the process must take place outside or in a well-ventilated room. The skeleton can be immerged in 5 - 10% hydrogen peroxide 5 for 12 - 24 h.The solution can be used 4 - 5 the teeth. This is done after the first molar times. of the mandibular. It is wrong if the jaws Another effective method is adding are cut at random. The teeth of the young chalk powder into the peroxide - in this bears are wider at the base. Therefore, if way the penetrated chalk particles in the they cannot be removed from the front, are bone retain their white color for long time pushed caudally, by exerting a pressure on after drying. the top of the tooth. It is not necessary to The bleached skeleton is washed bleach them as they must retain it is natural under running water and it is left to dry. color. When cleaning the teeth, especially attention deserves the black stripe on the 8. Further processing lower teeth. It must remain clear and black, because thank to her trophy gets high After the bleaching is complete, the marks for beauty. skeleton is dried and left in a container Over the time the teeth crack along with PONAL mixture(glue for wood) and the longitudinal axis. To avoid this, they water in a ratio 1:1. This mixture should are filled with hard paraffin, melted in a cover the whole head. After 24 h the water bath. The dental cavities should be mixture penetrates the bones and replaces filled with heated to 60 ˚C paraffin.