Description
Recently, we conducted a frog lab, which consisted of dissection and observation. Dissecting the frogs let us get a closer look at the anatomy of the frogs and their similarities and differences to the human body. This lab also let us learn more about the functions of each part, and how each organ works together, while giving us a fun hands on experience.
Content
Tympanic Membrane: The tympanic membrane transmits sound waves to the inner part of the amphibians ears
Forelimbs: Frog forelimbs are much shorter and weaker than their hindlimbs. Forelimbs have 4 digits.
Hind limbs: Frog hindlimbs are longer and stronger than the forelimbs. Hindlimbs have 5 digits.
Phylum: Phylum is a level of classification or taxonomic rank below kingdom and above class. A frog's phylum is Chordata. Chordata is a phylum (group) of animals that have a notochord. Notochord The flexible skeletal rod that's made of cartilage.
SubPhylum: A subphylum is a taxonomic rank below the rank of phylum. A Frog's SubPhylum rank is vertebrata, which means a group of animals that have a spine.
Class: The frogs class is Amphibia
"Two lives": Frog's having 2 lives refers to them being a tadpole in the water eventually developing into a frog.
Dorsal: The frog's backside
Ventral: The frog's belly side
Anterior: The top end of the frog
Glottis: The glottis is a valve that controls airflow in and out of the respiratory passages.
Arteries: Arteries carry blood away from the heart
Veins: Veins carry blood to the heart
Frog heart: A frogs heart has 3 chambers, 2 atriums, and 1 ventricle
Posterior: The tail end of the frog
Frog Lungs: Frogs have weak lungs so they breathe through their skin
Cloaca: Urine and solid waste go out of a frog's body through the cloaca, as well as eggs and sperm
Frog Skeleton: A frog's skeleton is made up of 2 regions. The axial region consists of 47 bones and the appendicular skeleton consists of 112 bones
Frog tongue: The frog's tongue is attached to the front of their mouths so that it can snap out and catch food to bring it to its mouth.
Esophagus: The Esophagus is a tube that leads from the frog's mouth to the stomach located at the top middle
Stomach: An organ that processes food, it produces enzymes and acid
Pancreas: The pancreas is part of the frog digestive system and secretes bile which helps in the digestion of food in the small intestine.
Lung: The Lung is an organ for O2 and CO2 exchange
Heart: A frog has a three-chambered heart. The chambers include two atria and a ventricle. The right atrium receives deoxygenated blood from the veins. Oxygenated and deoxygenated blood has a tendency to mix within the ventricle that is responsible for pumping blood
Liver: The liver plays an important part in the digestion process of a frog. It produces the liquid that breaks down the food that a frog eats.
Gallbladder: The gall bladder stores the bile produced by the liver. The bile is then delivered via the bile duct to the small intestine. Bile functions in the digestion of fats.
Small Intestine: The two parts of the small intestine of frogs are the duodenum and ileum. In frogs, the duodenum involves the digestion of carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. The absorption of nutrients occurs in the ileum.
Large Intestine: The large intestine in frogs stores undigested food. It performs the function of absorbing water from food residue also.
Project Reflection
In this lab, I was very satisfied with the work me and my partner accomplished on the frog, however there was lots of room for improvement, both in our teamwork and the project.
Since I get along well with my partner, Kian Caveney, most of the project went well, however, there were a few times when we would disagree on the role we would perform in the dissection. Despite this, we had a good strength in communication, so our problems were quickly resolved.
For myself, I struggled a lot in this project with understanding instructions, specifically in the early stages, as well as staying organised. With current work on organization for myself overall, I expect to see better organization in future projects.
Overall I think this lab was a success. My partner and I had some disagreements, but we managed to move around them and complete our project. This project pointed out big areas of weakness and was a good lesson in anatomy and the importance of communication in a group.