Virtually Wartless

Virtual dissection offers an alternative through the internet

by anna honas <reporter>

A student strides into his biology classroom, logs on a computer and begins to make the first incision into his frog. 

With the advancement of technology, students now have the opportunity to experience dissection through virtual reality as an alternative to regular dissection.

Many online sites offer video demonstrations, pictures and diagrams.  Also, activities on the web sites that allow students to conduct the actual dissection.

One of the many virtual dissection sites is www.froguts.com.  This site allows users to dissect a common bullfrog and explore the circulatory, digestive, respiratory, nervous and skeletal systems.  They can also learn about the urogenital systems of both male and female frogs. Users have the choice to have tests and quizzes after learning about each system or to go straight through the dissection. Facts and activities can be done during the dissection. 

Virtual dissection and real dissection are both learning experiences, according to biology teacher Jim Sherwood.

“There are some advantages to both, some advantages you get out of regular (dissection) you don’t get out of virtual,” said Sherwood.

Though sophomore Elizabeth Grant has not tried a virtual dissection, she says regular dissection is a good idea.

“I think (regular dissection) is a good concept... (I was) getting a good hands on experience, but I didn’t really learn much from it,” said Grant. “You don’t learn what the functions of the different organs are, you just learn where they’re located and how to cut them out of the body.”

Sophomore Jon Quick has a different view of the learning experience of regular dissection.

“It was very interesting and fun to do too,” said Quick. “I learned a lot from (dissecting) the pig.”

Biology teacher Tim Fisher is currently the only teacher at SM North that requires a dissection as an assignment. If students do not wish to do the dissection he offers an alternative assignment.  He does it at the end of the year, if there is time.

“It was kind of gross at first because it smelled really bad, but after a while you got used to the smell and guts,” said Grant recalling the dissection she did last school year.

However graphic regular dissection is, virtual dissection can be equally graphic.  Movies and pictures of real dissection are some of the contents on the sites use for learning about the anatomy of the animal dissected.     

“I don’t think virtual dissection would be a good learning experience,” said Quick, “because it’s not a really life experience. You don’t get  as much out of it.”

Although virtual dissection is similar to regular dissection, the extent of the dissection is limited to the computer programming, and users are not able to explore things that are not programmed into the site. In regular dissection, students are not limited by a computer.