• Question: how many things have you cut open?

    Asked by sophiecoulson to Amy, Karen, Sarah, Vijay, Will on 11 Jun 2012.
    • Photo: Sarah Martin

      Sarah Martin answered on 11 Jun 2012:

      Hi Sophie! I’ve never cut anything open – but I have dissolved millions and millions of cells. In fact, for one experiment I dissolved 100,000,000 small green algae using fairy liquid (well, the type we have in the lab anyway!).

    • Photo: Will Reynolds

      Will Reynolds answered on 11 Jun 2012:

      Hey Sophie. I have never dissected anything, but I have cut up pieces of sodium metal! It is a metal but it is so soft you can cut it with a knife. But you have to be quick because it catches fire when it comes into contact with air.

    • Photo: Amy Birch

      Amy Birch answered on 11 Jun 2012:

      Hi sophie! I have cut open rats, mice and fish (all were either dead or anaesthetised so they couldn’t feel anything). I have dissected different parts of the body too – such as muscles, heart, brain and liver. This is all done under very strict rules and regulations & I have to have a special licence from the government to do it.

    • Photo: Karen Reed

      Karen Reed answered on 13 Jun 2012:

      Hi Sophie – I’m guessing you’re thinking dissctions here. As a student I did a fish, snail, locus (was horrid), rat, pigs eye (again horrid), cows heart and yeast spores (was very tricky). These days I dissect mice in my work, but they are always dead and have been killed in a way that doesnt cause any suffering or harm. Like Amy I’ve got a licence to do it.

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