Amphibia

Digestive system of a frog

The digestive system of frog consists of digestive tract and the accessory organs which help to process the food consumed into small molecules (nutrients) which then can be easily absorbed and then utilized by the cells of the body. Parts of the digestive system of a frog includes: Mouth Pharynx Oesophagus Stomach Small intestine Large intestine Cloaca Accessory organs

Mechanism of Digestion in Digestive System of a Frog The digestive system of a frog starts with the mouth. Mouth helps in consumption of food. This process is known as ingestion. Frog feeds on flies or insects. As the teeths present in frog is very week they are not useful to catch the agile prey. Frogs catch their food (such as insects and flies) with the help of its stick tongue and mixes it with the saliva. The teeths present in the upper jaw are called the maxillary teeth, it helps in grinding the ingested food before it is swallowed. The saliva produced and secreted by the salivary glands helps in conversion of starch to sugar and adds liquid to the ingested food. The food mixed with saliva then moves from mouth into the pharynx, and then into the oesophagus. It pushes the food further into the sac like structure stomach. This movement is food into the stomach is known as deglutition or swallowing. Food particles in the stomach mix thoroughly with enzymes and other fluids due to contraction of smooth muscles present in the stomach. Peristaltic movement propels the food particles into the digestive tract and the pyloric sphincter valve is involved in preventing the movement of food backward from the stomach. The food which is partially digested in stomach then proceeds in to the small intestine, where most part of the digestion occurs. It is divisible into duodenum and ileum. Pancreatic juice is secreted from the pancreas and bile through the gallbladder from the liver to the small intestine, which helps in completion of digestion. Absorption of the digested nutrients in digestive system of a frog occurs in small intestine. Absorption unabsorbed nutrients and reabsorption of water takes place in the large intestine. Liquid wastes are in frog is passed to the urinary bladder, while solids are routed to the cloaca. Both liquid and solid wastes in frog are expelled out through cloaca which is a slit that opens out finally in digestive system of a frog.

Amphibia

Amphibian circulation
Amphibian heart receives both de oxygenated and oxygenated blood and is often termed the arteriovenous heart. Amphibian has three chambered heart. These three chambers are: Right auricle Left auricle and a single undivided ventricle Two accessory chambers are also present. These chambers are: Sinus venosus and Truncus arteriosus. The right auricle receives deoxygenated blood from the body via sinus venosus and the left auricle receives oxygenated blood from the lungs. Both the samples of blood pass in to the ventricle, where mixing of the two occurs. The truncus arteriosus supplies mixed blood to the various parts of the body. Explanation of Amphibian Circulation The amphibians have a double circulation as the blood passes through the heart twice in each complete circuit around the body. Pulmonary or lesser circulation The course of blood from the heart to the lungs and back to the lungs is called pulmonary or lesser circulation. Systemic or greater circulation The flow of blood from the heart to the body and head and back to the heart is termed systemic or greater circulation. An advantage of double circulation is that the blood supplied to the body is also pumped by the heart. This raises the blood pressure and accelerates the supply of oxygen and food to the body calls. Most of the amphibians spend a good deal of time under water where air breathing is not possible. There undivided ventricle can root the blood from the body past the lungs and can sent it to the skin for further gas exchange with the water. In amphibians, much gas exchange occurs in the skin, an added advantage for a submerged animal. The double circulation of amphibian is partial as the ventricle is undivided and mixing of blood occurs in it.