1. Assemble all of the dissection tools, put on your goggles and gloves and use your dissection tray to transport
one specimen to your bench.
2. Examine your specimen and determine if the pericardial sac (pericardium) is still attached to the base of
the heart. If it is, the pericardium and associated adipose should be removed. Use your scissors to make an
incision into the pericardium and cut the pericardium away from it’s attachment at the base of the heart. As
you cut around the base of the heart, manipulate the
tissues and check for blood vessels (thicker walled
arteries and collapsed thin-walled veins). Do not transect
(cut) any of the blood vessels that are attached to the
heart. The removal of the pericardial sac should be
relatively simple—if the sac is attached to the surface of
the heart, it is an indication of pericarditis and should be
brought to the attention of your instructor.