HOW TO: Disect a Frog

Frog (Amphibia)

Background

Frogs are found on every continent except Antarctica. They are able to live in a wide range of environments. Since frogs are amphibians, they are able to live on both land and sea. They have a preference for environments such as: creeks, ponds, swamps etc. As larvae, frogs are able to breathe through their gills in water. As adults on land, they breath with their lungs and through their skin by cutaneous gas exchange. Frogs are carnivorous, which means that they eat meat—insects such as flies, mosquitoes, moths, and dragonflies. 

FUN FACT: One gram of the toxin produced by the skin of the golden poison dart frog could kill 100,000 people.

External Anatomy 

Tympanic membrane— eardrum of the frog that receives sound 

Glottis— opening from the mouth into the respiratory system 

External nares— nose of the frog that helps air go in and out

Nictating membrane— transparent part of frog's lower eyelid that cleans and protects it

Internal Anatomy 

Esophagus— connects the mouth of the frog to the stomach

Gall bladder— sac that stores the bile

Liver— secretes the bile and processes digested food

Large Intestine— stores undigested food

Cloaca— products of the frogs digestive and urogenital system pass through this organ when going out of the body

Fat bodies— fat that is in the body cavities of the frog that are needed for hibernation and mating

Incision Guide

Dissection Procedure