Dissection Kits and Dissecting Instruments

A dissection kit is the set of instruments used to open and examine a biological specimen: scalpels, scissors, forceps, mounted needles and probes, usually in a case. Add a board or tray to pin the specimen to, and a magnifier for the fine work.

We sell the kits complete, and every instrument in them separately, because in practice it is always the scalpel blades and the pins that run out first.

Need instruments on their own? Shop our forceps and dissecting tweezers, scalpels and surgical blades and magnifiers and loupes separately.

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Jump straight to the type of dissection tool you need.
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Gloved hands dissecting a specimen on a wooden board

What are dissection kits and tools?

Each instrument in the kit does one job. Scissors open the body cavity without puncturing what sits underneath. Forceps hold tissue steady while you cut. A scalpel makes the clean incision scissors cannot. Mounted needles separate tissue layers, and a blunt probe traces a structure without cutting it.

Most instruments are stainless steel so they survive repeated sterilising. Scalpel blades are the exception. They are meant to be replaced rather than resharpened.

Common uses of dissection tools in the lab

Where careful technique and the right instrument matter.

  • A gloved hand holding a magnifier over a specimen on a tray

    Close Examination

    A magnifier or loupe reveals fine anatomical detail that's easy to miss with the naked eye.

  • A gloved hand pinning a specimen to a black dissecting board

    Specimen Pinning

    Dissecting needles and pins hold a specimen steady and in place on a wax board.

  • An open wooden case of dissecting instruments on a bench

    Complete Kit Setup

    A full dissecting kit keeps every tool organised and ready in one fitted case.

  • A gloved hand cutting a plant specimen with a scalpel

    Precise Incisions

    A sharp scalpel blade gives clean, controlled cuts for careful examination work.

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