Comparative Medicine Branch

Virtual Mouse Necropsy

Step 5: The Urogenital System

Gross Anatomy of Male Mouse After Gastrointestinal Tract Removal

1. Salivary Gland
2. Rib Cage
3. Diaphragm
4. Liver
5. Spleen
6. Pancreas
7. Forestomach
8. Glandular Stomach
9. Kidney
10. Ascending Colon
11. Male Urogenital System

Getting Started

Removing the reproductive organs is not as difficult as finding lymph nodes. But it is not easy, either. After opening up the body cavity, start with what presents itself first: in this case, the easiest object to extract from the mouse is the urogenital system. You will see a pouch butting up under the intestines; this is the bladder and it will be your starting point.

Gross Anatomy of Male Urogenital System Without Prepuital Gland

1. Seminal Vesicles
2. Coagulating Glands
3. Urinary Bladder
4. Prostate
5. Vas Deferens
6. Testicle
7. Epididymes
8. Bulbourethral Gland
9. Urethra

Gross Anatomy of Male Urogenital System With Prepuital Gland

1. Seminal Vesicles

   

2. Coagulating Glands
3. Urinary Bladder
4. Prostate
5. Vas Deferens
6. Testicle
7. Epididymes
8. Urethra
9. Prepuital Gland
10. Penis

Female Anatomy

1. Ovary
2. Fallopian Tube
3. Uterus
4. Urinary Bladder
5. Urethra
6. Vagina
7. Clitoral Glands
8. Vulva

The female anatomy is not as complicated and therefore not as difficult to remove.

1. Once again, make two cuts through the pelvic arch, forming a canal to remove the uterus.
2. Free the Y shaped uterus from the surrounding fat, remembering to include the ovaries and fallopian tubes.
3. Using the fat or the uterus itself, pull the structure down through the canal, cutting any anchors as you go.
4. Once you get below the pelvic arch, use you scissors to free the rectum from the vaginal canal.
5. Rinse with saline and lay flat on paper, leaving it intact. Place the paper and its contents in preservative.

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