University of the Pacific Scholarly Commons University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 1957 The rabbit : an illustrated anatomical guide Edwin Chin Jr. University of the Pacific Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds Recommended Citation Chin, Edwin Jr.. (1957). The rabbit : an illustrated anatomical guide. University of the Pacific, Thesis. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/1366 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. t I I' ·I I\ ''' THE RABBIT AN ILLUS'I'RA'l1EO ANATOMICAL GUIDE A Thesis .Pr•esE!mted to the Faculty of the Department of Zoology College of the Pacific In Partial F'ulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree ',Master of Arts by Edwin Chin, Jr. ---- ----- .. , June 1957 CHAPTE:R PAGE 1 I. IN'1 RODUCTI ON • • . •. • • • • • • • • • • • !J 1 Preparation of Materials • • • • • • • • • • • • J Killixlg the specimen • • • • • • • • • • • • • 3 Embali'\ling the specimen • • • • • • • • • • • • 3 Injection of, the circulatory system • • • • • 6 Skeletal preparation • • • • • • • • • • • • • 7 !I, EX'I1 ERNAI.~ FEA~'URES • • • , • • • • • • • • • • , • 8 III. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 10 IV. rJIUSCULAR SYS'I'EM • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 45 Superficial f1uscles • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 4.? ' . Subcutaneous Muscles • • • • • • • • • • • . ~ 45 Muscles of the Neck and Back • • • • • • • • • • f1us<~les of the 'rhroat and Chest • • • • • 0 • • .?1 Muscles of the Arm and Shoulder • • • • • • • • 52 Muscles of the I~'o:t'~arm • • • • • • • • • • • • • 57 £1uscles of the 'rh1gh and Leg • • • .. • • • • • .. 60 r1uscles of the Lo't';er Leg • • • • • • • • • 0 • • 66 v. !N'l'ERNAL ORGANS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 68 VI. RESPIRATOHY SYS'l'Er1 • • • • • • • • • • • . .. • • 70 VII. HEART AND MAJOR VESSELS . •. 73 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • It ?3 The Major Vessels • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 75 iii CHAPTER PAGE VIII. AR.TERIAIJ CIRCULATION • • • • • • • • • • • " . 80 Anterior Arteries . .. 80 'l'hora.cio Arteries • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 82 Abdominal Arteries • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 82 Mtv.jor ~ymphatic Ves~-;els • • • • . " • • • • 8.5 IX. \f""ENOUS CIRCULATION • • • .. • • • • • • 0 • • • • 87 An.terlor Veins • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 87 Posterior Veins • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 88 x. • • • • • • 8 • • • 91 XI. • • • • • 0 • • • • * 16 • 93 XII. UROGENITAL SYSTEM . .. 100 U:rinary Organs • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 100 Male Reproductive Organs • • • • • • • • • • • 101 Female Reproduot:l.ve Organs • • • • • • • • • • 103 XIII~ CENTHAL NE:HVOUS SYSTEN • • • • • • • • • • • • • 105 Meninges • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • 105 Late:t•al Aspect of the Brain • • • • • • • • • 105 Medlan Sag it tal Section of the Br·ain. • • • • • 107 Po:t1sal Aspect of the B:r·a.5.n • • • • • • • • • • J.lO Ventral Aspe<:~t of the Drain • • • • • • ,. • • 112 Spinal COl"d. ... .. .. • • • . •. lll~ XIV. BIBI..IOOHAPHY • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 116 LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE PAQS 1. Lateral View of a Mounted Skeleton • • • • • • • • 11 2. Lateral View of' the Skull • .. • • • • • • • • • • 13 3. Medial View of a Sagitt-9.1 Section of the Skull il • 14 4 .. Dorsal View of the Skull • • • • • • • • • • • • • 15 5· Ventral View of the Skull • • • • • • • • • • • • 16 6. Lateral View of the Mandible • • • • • • • • • • • 19 7. r"iedtal View of t;he Mandible! • • • • • • .. • • • • 20 a. Anterior View of the Sternal Apparatus • • • • • • 22 9. .Medial View of the Scapula • • • • • e • • • • • • 23 10. Lateral View of the Scapula • • • • • • • • • • • 24 11. Anterior and. Posterl.or Views of the Humerus • • • 26 12. Antero... lateral View of the Hadius and Ulna • • • • 27 1:}. Dors£tl View of the Bones of the Hand • • • • • .. 29 14. Inferior View of the Atlas (1st Cervical) • • • • Jl 1.5. Lateral Viow of the Axis (2nd Cervical) • • • • • 31 16. Superior View of a Typical Cervical Vertebra • • • 33 17. Lateral V1e"~<1' of' a Typical 1l'horacio Vertebra • • • 33 18. Later•al View of a Typical Lumbar Vertebra • • • • 34 19. Superior View of _a Typical Lumbar Vertebra • • • • 34 ;w. Ventre.l V:i,ew of the Sacrum • • • • • • • • • • • • 36 21. Dorsal View of the Sa.orum . •. ' )6 Lateral Sux•face of the Innom:l.nate • • • • • 38 Medial Surface of the Innominate • • • • • • . ' 39 v FIGURE PAGE 24. Anterior and. Pos teri o:t' View of the Femur • • • • • 41 • • • • • • • • 43 26. Dor•sal View of the Bones o1' t.he li'oot • • • • • • • 44 27. Latere.l Vie~'! of the Sup(~rficial f•iuseles • •• • • • 46 28. Muscles of the Neck and Baok • • • • • • • • • • • 47 29. Muscles of the Throat and Chest • • • • • • • • • 50 30. Late:r8.1 V18w of tbe tvtusc,les of the Arm a.:r1d Shoulder • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • :n. t1edial View of the Muscles of the iu.,.m and Shoulder •• • • • • • e· • • • • I • .t • . .. 32. Cross Sect ton Through the r116.1Jl.le of the Humerus 33. Dorsal View of the Tend.o~(ls of the Forearm • • • • 59 34. Lateral Vie'tl>.r of· the Supsrficial P1uscles of the Thigh and Lag • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 62 35. Lateral Vtr~t'i of the Deep ~1uscles of the Thigh and Leg • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •. • 63 Me.dlal ViE~W of the Muscles of the Thigh • • • • • 64 Cross Section Through the Middle of the Femur .. 65 J8. Cross Section Through the l\liddle of the Ti.bic-Jil1 bula • • • • • • • • • • • .. • • • • • 67 39. Anterior Vie-;.J of the Internal Organs • • • • • • • 69 40. Anterior View of the Thoracic .Organs • • • 0 • • • 72 i 41. Anterlor View of the He :art • • • • • • • • • • • • 77 - --- -- 42. Dorsal Vi~w of the Heart • If • • • • • • • • • • • 78 43 .. Vessels of the Neck and Thorax • • • • • • • • • • 79 vi FIGURE PAGE Branches of the Aorta • • • • • • • • • . ' . ... 86 Tribut:a.r1es of the Venae Cavae •••••••••.• 90 46. Semi-Diagramatie View of the Hepatio-l?ortal System • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •. • • • • • 92 47. Anterior View of the Liver • • • • • • • • • • • • 98 48. Sem1~D1agramat1c Vielti of the lleoceoal Junction • • 99 49. The Male Urogenital. System • • • • • • • • • • • • 102 50. ~he :tt,ema.H~ urogeiti tal System • • • • • • • • • • • 104 51. Lateral View of the Brain • • • • • • • • • • • • • 106 SZ. Medial View of a Sagittal Section of the Brain •• 109 Dorsal View of the Brain . ... • 111 Ventra.l View of the Brain • • • • • • • • • .• • • ·.• 115 I. INTRODUCTION While asslst;ing in a la bora. tory cou:r•se in mammalian anatomy at the College of the Pacific in the fall of 19.55, 1 t became necessary to utilize domestic rabbits, I.t!pus caniculus:~ as a replacement for cats as dissecting material. As a result of this, it was noted that anatomically the rabbit was in many ways more desirable as a dissect1..ng mammal than the cat. Some notable advantages over the oat were (1) a more typical hyoid apparatus; (2} possession of twelve pairs of r1.bs; (3) persistent right azygos vein; (4) three main branches from the aortic arch; and external and internal iliac arteries arising from the common iliac artery. rrhese adve,nced mammalis,n oharaoteristj_cs, as observed in the preU.minary dissections, resembled so much the human anatomical condition that an investigation of the possible use of the rabbit for dissection in an introductory anatomy or mammalian anatomy course was initiated. An added advantage in the use of the rabbit for dls :>ection would be the lack of personal attachment for 1st bora tory ar11rnals such as the rabbitt whereas certain societies and groups of individuals often react negatively to the dissection of oats in the laboratory. The low cost and. earf:!ot' embalming and injecting is an added inducement for the use of :t•abbi ts as dissecting material. 2 This study on the anatomy of the rabbit was based on d.isseoted mt.tterial from the biological laboratories of the College of the Pacific. Beo~use of existing errors in many of the present. references to rabbit anatomy, the gutde was prepared to meet the expressed need for a concise, illus­ trated outline of basic anatomy of the rabi;Jit which might be used by students in an introductory course in mammalian or human anatomy. Since it is assumed that the guide would be supplemented by a dlsseotion manual, syllabus, or textbook, textural material of such an outllne is he:r•e presented in outline form. I wish to express my deep gratitude to Dr. Alden E• Noble, chairman of the Department of Zoology, College of the Pacific, whose 1nspir8.tion and guldanoe has made this study possible. I would also like to thank Dr. Donald L. Lehmann of the College of the Pacific and Miss Ecli th Grider, refer­ ence librarian of the College of the Pacific, for their generous donation of time and advice ln helping to make this study possible. PREPARATION OF MATEIHALS . Most of the larger biological supply houses supply embalmed. rabbits; singly • doubly$ or triply injected. The cost of these preserved rabbits is about the same as for the cat,. .':'£!he following procedures were used tn'the prepara'!"' tion of' mc1.terials for this study; and they are recommended for those who 'fl~ish to use the more readily obtainable live rabbits. KILLING THE SPECIMEN The animal should be starved a day or two prior to embalming. This allows for evacuation of the digestive