Urinary Bladder, Kidneys, Ureters
Urinary Bladder and Kidneys
The location of the urinary bladder and kidney depend on the gender of the pig. In male pigs the bladder and ureters will be connected to the umbilical cord but in females, that is not the case. To locate both organs, you will need to push aside the intestines because they lie deep to them.
The urinary bladder is located in the caudal section of the abdominal cavity and lies between the umbilical arteries. The kidneys are bean-shaped organs that lie on the left and right sides of the posterior wall of the abdominal cavity. They are located dorsal to the intestines and you will need to remove the peritoneum to expose them. |
Ureters
The ureters are two tube-like structures located on either side of the urinary bladder. These tubes widen and lead to the kidney; they are the connector from the kidneys to the bladder. In order to see the connection you might have to move the intestines out of the way. By breaking the connective tissue the hold the ureters to the urinary bladder, you will have better isolation of the tubes.
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Salivary Glands
Parotid and Mandibular (submaxillary)
The parotid gland is the gland on the right side of the picture, which is closer to the ear than the mandibular gland. The mandibular gland is on the left side of the picture.
To find these two glands, make an incision on the side of the head between the ear and the mouth. Do this very carefully because the glands are superficial and can be easily cut through. Separate the skin from the underlying tissue to expose the glands. Sometimes the parotid gland can come off with the skin if you are not careful. The parotid gland is caudal and ventral to the masseter muscle. It can be dissected by peeling it off the overlying skin. The mandibular gland is found just posterior to the masseter muscle and is partially covered by the parotid gland. |