CARING FOR YOUR PRESERVED SPECIMEN . . . .
Preserved Specimens - proper care:
Here are some DO's for your preserved
specimens:
1. Keep
preserved specimens out of hot areas, away from direct sunlight.
2. When
ordering, specify a date for arrival - that way we can ship you the specimen
for when you really need it. While standard preserved specimens are guaranteed
for one year, this will give you a "fresher" specimen if we have a
date as to when you want it shipped.
3. If your
specimen is to be studied for over a week, spray your specimen with a solution
such as Nebanol to keep it moist (but don't use
water- see below!) Nebanol is available in 2 sizes.
4. Use the
specimen within one year. While they will probably last much longer, this will
give you the best looking dissection.
5. Proper
disposal of preserved specimens varies from state to state - even from county
to county. Preserved specimens have about 3-5% formaldehyde at time of
preservation. Check with your local authorities for your area.
6. Use proper
safety when dissecting - this includes gloves, aprons, etc.
7. Do use
supplemental materials to encourage learning of the dissection. We offer
dissection videos, DVD's, CD-ROMS, charts, books, and more.
8. Do take
the time to explain where these specimens come from. For example, fetal pigs
are collected from the uterus of slaughtered sows. Bullfrogs are collected in
the wild for food (frog legs); those not acceptable for the food industry are
preserved.
Here
are some DON'Ts for your preserved specimens:
1. Don't soak
your specimen in water. That will dilute any preservative in the tissue - and
could encourage growth of mold or bacteria if enough preservative is washed
away. If you rinse your specimen before use make sure you spray it with a
"holding" solution such as Nebanol before
putting it away. A holding solution will keep your specimen soft and will
reduce the chances of mold & bacteria growing.
2. Don't
freeze your specimen - OK to keep in a refrigerator but do not freeze the
critter!
3. Don't
teach your students about "DIE" "SECTING". Teach
"DIS" "SECTING" Notice that the word "dissecting"
has 2 of the letter "s" (proper pronunciation).
4. Don't
refer to dissection as "icky", "yucky" - students will
quickly pick up on this negative perception. Present dissection as a professional
learning experience.
Don't wait until the last minute to order preserved
specimens. While most items are usually available, external factors such as
weather can often effect supply. Order early and give a requested ship date for
arrival.
Top selling
dissection specimens: Fetal
pigs, sheep
brains, cow
eyes, sheep
eyes, sheep
hearts, kidneys,
preserved
frogs, preserved
starfish, preserved
crayfish, preserved
earthworms.
