Cow Eye Dissection...

I was in honors science starting in 8th grade where we got to dissect all sorts things...earthworms, sharks, frogs, pigs and cats.  But I don't EVER recall dissecting a cow's eye...until today in our co-op.  I thought I was going to puke, but I didn't.  I held myself together quite well and even took some pictures.

First, we had to cut away the muscle and tissue...

Then we cut the front part from the back part...anterior and posterior...note the half on the left...you can see the lens and cornea.  We pulled the lens out and put it on a piece of paper with writing and the writing was magnified.  That was cool!

Note the irridescent blue color.  This is at the back of the eye where the retina attaches and all the nerves go towards the center and the optic nerve on the other side.  It's so colorful because cows can see better at night than humans and this irridescent color helps them to do that.  This is why when, especially in cats when the light hits their eyes just right, they appear to glow.

Homeschooling can be quite a learning experience!