Another pathologist is holding the kidneys, ureters, and bladder. Sometimes these organs will be left attached to the abdominal aorta. The pathologist will open all these organs and examine them carefully. Dissecting the lungs can be done in any of several ways. All methods reveal the surfaces of the large airways, and the great arteries of the lungs.
Most pathologists use the long knife again while studying the lungs.
The air spaces of the lungs will be evaluated based on their texture and appearance. Before the autopsy is over, the brain is usually suspended in fixative for a week so that the later dissection will be clean, neat, and accurate. If no disease of the brain is suspected, the pathologist may cut it fresh. The kidneys are weighed before they are dissected. The last pathologist is preparing the big needle and thread used to sew up the body.