Introduction
Anatomy is the biological study of the structures and parts of the organisms. In most cases, laboratories use animals for the modern experiment and biomedical research, including anatomical investigations. Laboratory rats are usually used to study the structure and morphology of the gastrointestinal tract. The study supports the planning of the surgical therapeutic methods for the abdominal cavity. Therefore, understanding the structure of the gastrointestinal tract is necessary to support surgical procedures in the abdominal cavity. The two articles selected are “Surgical Anatomy of the Gastrointestinal Tract and Its Vasculature in the Laboratory Rat” by Vdoviaková et al. (2016) and “ Gross anatomical aspects of the gastrointestinal tract of the wild African giant pouched rat” by Ali et al. (2008). Each of these articles examines the anatomy of the gastrointestinal tract to understand its structure.
Type of Data
Based on the type of data presented, the research by Vdoviaková et al. (2016) provides better research. The research provides observational data from the dissection of the gastrointestinal of a rat. The data provided by this research is detailed, and the explanation links to the theoretical model. The anatomy results show that the ventriculus of the rat is located to the left part of the abdominal cavity. The data presents statistics and analysis, which shows that the stomach tissue represents 1.8% of the total body weight (Vdoviaková et al., 2016). The research by Vdoviaková et al. (2016) also provides data that is complete and comprehensive for clear understanding. The research provides the data on the stomach and liver anatomy with precise data on each of the processes presented. The completeness in the research is shown by a lack of gaps in the data collection and presentation. What further makes this research article more reliable is the comparison that it makes between the findings of the rat dissection and the human system. This comparison makes it easy to understand how the research is applicable in the anatomy of the gastrointestinal tract in human beings. The article, therefore, provides more reliable and comprehensive data that leaves no gap in the research.
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In comparison, Ali et al. (2008) also provide data from the observation made on the dissection of the rat to understand the structure of the gastrointestinal tract. Ali et al. (2008) present the data about the internal and external division of the structures of the gastrointestinal tract. During the observation, the intestine was divided into both the small and large intestines. The surface also had two parts, the cardiac and pyloric. While this research provides useful data from the study, gaps exist in its findings. According to Omary et al. (2016), better research is one that provides data that is complete and comprehensive. Complete and comprehensive data is one that has no gaps in its findings. It is data that provides complete information about a study and leaves no more questions for further research. In the study by Ali et al. (2008), the data is provided on the dissection of the rat but fails to link it to how it applies to the human digestive system and its application in the surgical therapeutic methods for the abdominal cavity.
Number of Subjects
The sample size and the number of participants increases the validity of a research study. While the sample size relies on the size of the population under study, a large sample size is always preferable over the small sample size. As a result, a study with a large number of subjects under study tends to be more reliable and valid compared to the one with a small number of participants (Boddy, 2016). The study by Vdoviaková et al. (2016) is better and more reliable because it uses a more significant number of participants in the study. In the study, 20 laboratory rats were the study subjects. Of the 20 subjects of the study, 10 were female, and the other ten males. This study subject is large enough compared and takes the issue of diversity into place. Also, the subjects were laboratory rats that, which had been kept explicitly for experimentation purposes. The animals were from an accredited laboratory of research bio models, which further makes the subject more reliable and valid for the study. With this sample size and the choice of the subjects under study being from the laboratory, it ensures that the finding is reliable and effective for valid research. The subjects to be used in an experiental study require laboratory monitoring to have control.
In contrast, the study by Ail et al. (2008) only uses a sample of 10 as subjects for the study. This article has failed to utilize a large number of participants. However, researchers always conduct the study of the anatomy of the human body using mammals such as rats. The resemblance of the structure of the body structure of mammals makes it easy to study the human body using them as subjects. Therefore, both articles do an excellent job of using rats as study subjects, but the reliability and accuracy of the data will differ due to the different sample sizes.
Methodology and Design
The study by the Vdoviaková et al. (2016) uses an experimental design to collect the data and arrive at the findings. In the experiment, 20 laboratory rats were used as test subjects. The rats were weighing between 350-520 grams under the standard breeding condition. The animals used were from an accredited research laboratory. Before the experiment, the researchers acquired approval from the ethics committee. The research design used in this research is the most effective for biological research. In the study of the structures of the body organs, the experiment is best suited to provide a better view of the whole body and how it works. Therefore, the research by Vdoviaková et al. (2016) does a better job of providing an understanding of the anatomy of the rats, which then acts as a reference to the human gastrointestinal trtractAn observation was used to understand the structure of the gastrointestinal tract and the results recorded. In an experiment involving anatomy, observation is the major way of collecting the data. Observation involves the physical examination of the organs and recording the data as it is. It represents the best mechanism to collect the data and provide a better understanding of the research topic. Even though the study by Ali et al. (2008) also uses experimental design, the results may not be effective because the subjects used were not under the laboratory conditions. It may, therefore, not present better data to help in understanding the anatomy of the gastrointestinal track system.
Data Analysis and Presentation
Effective research should provide a precise analysis of the data and make a summary of the findings. It requires the use of various analytical tools to give a clear interpretation of the data. The study by Vdoviaková et al. (2016) provides a detailed analysis of the rat organs of the digestive system using the visual presentation. Many previous studies have presented a partial description of the anatomy of the gastrointestinal organs (Afonso-Pereira et al., 2018). In comparison, the researchers of this study do a better job of providing an integrated knowledge of the rat's stomach, liver, and intestines. Furthermore, the study does quite well in presenting the anatomical relationship between the human and rat digestive organs. The use of images presents a clear view of the organs as they were observed during the study. Many studies have described the human stomach to be a dilated part of the digestive system. However, the research by Vdoviaková et al. (2016) adds more knowledge on the factors that may affect the morphology of the stomach. This study, therefore, presents an effective analysis of the whole digestive system of the rat and compares it to that of humans. The research by Ali et al. (2008) does not provide a clear relationship between the digestive system of the rat and that of humans. It further fails to use diagrams and images to present a visual understanding of the whole structure and anatomy of the digestive system.
Conclusion
Researchers always perform the anatomical study of the digestive system using rats in the laboratory. In the two studies selected to understand the anatomy of the gastrointestinal tract, Vdoviaková et al. (2016) do a good job of presenting quality research. The researchers present reliable data from a well-conducted experiment in the laboratory using rats kept under laboratory conditions. Secondly, it uses a sizeable number as subjects in the study, which makes the findings more reliable and accurate. The choice of the study design and methodology also match the required methods under scientific anatomical study. The researchers of this article, therefore, do a perfect job in providing data about the research topic.
References
Afonso-Pereira, F., Dou, L., Trenfield, S. J., Madla, C. M., Murdan, S., Sousa, J., ... & Basit, A. W. (2018). Sex differences in the gastrointestinal tract of rats and the implications for oral drug delivery. European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences , 115 , 339-344.
Ali, M. N., Byanet, O., Salami, S. O., Imam, J., Maidawa, S. M., Umosen, A. D., ... & Nzalak, J. O. (2008). Gross anatomical aspects of the gastrointestinal tract of the wild African giant pouched rat (Cricetomys gambianus). SRE , 3 (10), 518-20.
Boddy, C. R. (2016). Sample size for qualitative research. Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal .
Omary, M. B., Cohen, D. E., El-Omar, E., Jalan, R., Low, M., Nathanson, M., ... & Turner, J. (2016). Not all mice are the same: standardization of animal research data presentation. Gut , 65 (6), 894-895.
Vdoviaková, K., Petrovová, E., Maloveská, M., Krešáková, L., Teleky, J., Elias, M. Z. J., & Petrášová, D. (2016). Surgical anatomy of the gastrointestinal tract and its vasculature in the laboratory rat. Gastroenterology research and practice , 2016 .
