Kathleen O’Brien’s Principles of Biomedical Science classes recently started a new chapter, and it’s all about the heart.

Students learned about the anatomy of the heart, how it pumps blood throughout the body, as well as the history of heart-related diseases and surgery.

The lab for this chapter, which some students couldn’t wait for, was the dissection of a preserved sheep heart. O’Brein even brought in four fresh beef heart to show her classes. Some of the external and most of the internal anatomy of the sheep hearts were not visible while they dissected them, so O’Brein brought one of the beef hearts around to show them. The students who were brave enough touched and held the large organs (with gloves on, of course). This class is definitely not for the faint of heart.

–Story and Photos by Alyssa Soell