Museum of Science and Industry

Exhibit Highlights

With amazing views inside real specimens, ANIMAL INSIDE OUT reveals the story of animal life told within their physiology from several perspectives:

Skeletal foundations

From tiny insects to full-grown mammals, most animals have a skeleton of some sort: an internal endoskeleton (like yours) or the external exoskeleton of insects and crustaceans.

Muscles, tendons and ligaments

The needs and speeds of an animal are written in its musculature, whether the large running and leaping muscles of a reindeer or the specialized muscle tissues of a bull’s massive heart.

Internal circuit of the nervous system

A vast and complex network connecting the brain, the spinal cord and all parts of the body, the nervous system channels a constant flow of data and commands. The nerve fibers carrying this vital information can be finer than a human hair and are invisible to the naked eye.

The birds and the bees

After feeding, reproduction is the most essential of an animal’s activities, and evolution has developed a vast number of different ways for animals to reproduce.

Breathing and eating

The lungs and digestive tracts of animals, such as the reindeer, reveal the intricate detail of some of the major organs in the body—and the many characteristics they share with human organs.

Wildlife conservation and preservation

By comparing the similarities found inside animals and humans, ANIMAL INSIDE OUT will provide you with a new appreciation for animal welfare and making choices that protect their environments.

Highlights include

• the rarely-seen giant squid with its huge eyes, designed for picking up light in the ocean depths;
• the world’s tallest mammal, a giraffe, that towers over guests;
• a cross section of a crocodile that shows the inner workings of this cold-blooded hunter;
• the gangly ostrich, whose powerful leg muscles allow it to run amazingly fast;
• a reindeer, with its hooves that adapt to the changing seasons; and
• the magnificent bull, with its heart five times the size of a human’s.

Next: About Plastination