Grasshopper Dissection

Grasshopper dissection

You have some choice as to how you would like to present your dissection - video, drawing with paper answers, or pictures & blog post, or any combination of these...  Here is the information that needs to be included.

Take pictures, draw or take video of the external anatomy of your grasshopper and complete the following questions - labelling as necessary...

1.  Is your grasshopper male or female?  How do you know?
2.  Identify the head, thorax & abdomen.  How many segments are in the abdomen?
3.  Identify the compound eyes, tympanum & antennae.
4.  Identify the 3 parts of the jumping legs - tarsus, tibia and femur.  How many legs are present?
5.  Use a dissecting microscope to find the spiracles (small holes on the sides of the abdomen.
5.  Make observations about the exoskeleton, wings, size and shape of your specimen.

Internal anatomy:
Remove the wings and appendages from the specimen by snipping them close to the body.  Make a careful, shallow cut through the exoskeleton down the dorsal (back) surface from the posterior end (bum) towards the anterior (head).  Try to just cut the exoskeleton, not cutting the organs below.

1.  Make initial observations about what you see when you open the grasshopper.
2.  Find the crop, gizzard of the digestive system.  Digestive enzymes are produced by the gastric ceaca.  Where you able to identify them?  Identify the stomach, intestine, rectum and anus.
3.  If possible, identify the coiled malpighian tubules (excretion), ovaries and oviducts (reproduction)

LAST QUESTION:
What more are you curious about since you have dissected this grasshopper?