FROG METAMOPHOSIS: DEVELOPMENT THROUGH ORGANIC AND PROCESS

FOOD

(di pa sure yung title…)

by

BAROLA, CHRISTINE KATE Y.

VER, ANNE LOUISE l.

STEM-12

SOUTHERN LUZON STATE UNIVERSITY

LABORATORY SCHOOLS - SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

April 22, 2019

Keywords

Growth Rate is how fast the tadpoles grow in size and develops into froglets.

Metamorphosis is the biological process the frog physically develops after hatching, involving a
dramatic change in the body structure through cell growth and differentiation

Organic food is the product of a farming system which avoids the use of man-made fertilizers,
pesticides; growth regulators and livestock feed additives.

Processed food is a food item that has had a series of mechanical or chemical operations
performed on it to change or preserve it.

Introduction

Organisms have different natural habitat which is an ecosystem that provides different
climatic conditions to them. In these habitat is where the basic needs of these organisms can be
found. Hence, all organisms need to adapt to their habitat for them to be able to survive. Changes
of habitat for resources affects the growth of many organisms, as an organisms were dependent
upon to it. Adaptations usually develop in response to a change in the organism’s habitat.
(National Geographic, 2011). The rate of growth of various components of an organism may
have important consequences in its ability to adapt to the environment. (Wilt, 2019)

Ectotherms, such as frogs undergoes complex metamorphosis from eggs to tadpoles to a

baby frog. Once the tadpoles are hatch from the eggs it starts with the development of the back
legs followed by the front legs. These tadpoles undergo a series of changes in form function and
size; the frog's body shape shrinks or becomes smaller. Internally, development of lungs, the loss
of gills, digestive tract changes, transformation of the skin as well, which prepare them for the
survival on land. Towards the end of metamorphosis, the tail of the tadpole shrinks or
reabsorbed. Tadpoles eat less during the last stage of metamorphosis, particularly during the
phase when the tail is gone. This ectotherm’s growth can be measured in terms of body size.
Body size is generally considered to be positively correlated with fitness through positive effects
on for example fecundity, mating success, offspring quality and life span (Dmitriew 2011).
Because adult body size is constrained by development time (Kingsolver & Pfennig 2004),
growth rate plays an important role in the determination of the age and size at maturity
(Dmitriew 2011).

Determining the growth rate of Frog in terms of the parameter and physical measurement.
(1) frog metamorphosis stages from egg to froglet were observed and labelled; (2) growth and
development of tadpoles in terms of kind of food intake over time. The study were done and
observed in the locality of Lucban, Quezon within a given timeframe. In determining the food
intake in relation to growth of frogs, a null hypothesis was speculated: There is no significant
difference between the effects of pechay (organic) and fita (commercialized) on the growth of
frogs.

Methodology

Materials and Methods

The researchers gathered two sets of frog eggs at the edge of ponds just under the water.
The eggs were taken from swamp lands found in Brgy. Manasa Lucban, Quezon on the second
week of February 2019. Each set of collected eggs was distributed to each of the researcher’s
homes and labelled as Sample A and Sample B, both in Lucban, Quezon.

The eggs were put under damp areas partially submerged in pond water so that when
hatched, tadpoles could easily swim unto a habitat of greater water content. Water is essential for
tadpoles as they have these gills that makes them breathe in aquatic environments only. Upon
hatching, those eggs covered with jelly shell enters to the next phase which is tadpole. As eggs
becomes tadpoles pond water was changed into dechlorinated tap water. According to D. Knight
(2014), all water that is used with frogs should be de-chlorinated. In order to dechlorinate a tap
water, the researchers let the water, which was gotten straight from the faucet, go into the boiling
process for about 5 minutes and once it is boiled they let it cool for several minutes.

Two types of food were set by the researchers to be fed to the tadpoles as they are also
the variables to be studied by the researchers. For the set A tadpoles, organic food such as
pechay were given to the tadpoles, while on the other hand, set B, the commercialized food such
as fita cracker were given to the tadpoles everyday with amounts that could last for
approximately a day. Over time, pechay and fita cracker amount would possibly increase as there
is greater demand for the tadpole nutrition. Water was changed for the first two weeks everyday
as water gets filthier and less transparent faster. For the following week water was changed for at
least every three days.

Exposure to the free action of the air is essential to have a higher numbers of tadpoles to
survive. Therefore when the front legs emerged the tadpoles, the researchers removed and
transferred it into a separate aquarium with shallow water and stones in readiness for their
change in diet and habitat.

Tadpole lengths – tail, body, hind legs if present, were recorded using a ruler until the
tadpoles become a froglet. A tadpole of average size was scooped chosen onto a spoon and
observed in terms of length.

Discussion

………………….

Food as organic and processed were used to determine the growth of the frog.

Frogs started from eggs and hatched into tadpoles. After a few days, the tadpoles formed its gills
that are slightly observable at the lateral part of the head. This lasted a few days and then the
tadpoles started growing in size to approximately ___cm, on the ___ week of observation. Hind
legs started to sprout from the ___ week and then the front. The front legs started to appear and
the tail finally recedes until the tadpoles become a froglet that can breathe through air.

Moreover, the researchers also aimed to determine if there is a significant difference between the
food (petchy/fita) intake overtime by frogs and its growth and development.
Summary and Conclusion

After months of experiment and observation, the researchers have observed the growth
and have determined the difference between the result of both samples regrding with their
growth development. The two samples have both shown differences with its growth due to the
different variables given to each.

Two objectives were formulated: To observe the stages of frog metamorphosis and; to
discuss the growth of frog in terms of kind of food intake. Upon the observation, it was found
that frogs started from eggs and hatched into tadpoles. After a few days, it became tadpoles. This
lasted a several days and then the tadpoles started growing in size approximately __ cm.

The researchers also aimed to determine if there is a significant difference between the
food (lettuce/meat) intake overtime by frogs and its growth and development.
LITERATURE CITED

DEFRA. (2019). What does organic mean. Retrieved on 3 April 2019. Retrieved from
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/organic

Klappenbach L. (2018). The Life Cycle of a Frog. Retrieved on 03 April 2019. Retrieved
from https://www.thoughtco.com/life-cycle-of-a-frog-130097

National Geographic. (21 January 2011). Adaptation. Retrieved on 03 April 2019. Retrieved
from https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/adaptation/

Study Moose. (2019). The Frog Life Cycle Process Essay. Retrieved on 03 April 2019.
Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/the-frog-life-cycle-process-essay

Wilt F. (2019). Growth. Retrieved on 03 April 2019. Retrieved from

https://www.britannica.com/science/growth-biology
(Observation Table)

Date Observation
Feb. 11, 2019 The eggs hasn’t been hatched yet
Feb. 13, 2019 There were eggs that has tail coming out from it which
looks like it is almost going to hatch
Feb. 16, 2019 Some eggs hatched already
Feb. 17, 2019 Noticed that there were more tadpoles that was hatched
Feb. 18, 2019 There are now numbers of tadpoles that was hatched
from the egg
Feb. 19, 2019 There were no more additional eggs that hatched
Feb. 20, 2019 Still the same, no difference seen
Feb. 22, 2019 Some tadpoles began to swim around
Feb. 27, 2019 The white part underneath the tadpoles stomach
disappeared and the color of the tadpoles have darken
March 1, 2019 The head was a bit bigger than before and the tail looks a
little longer
March 3, 2019 Still the same
March 5, 2019 No difference
March 7, 2019 The size had slightly increased again
March 13, 2019 The external gills was seen through the tadpoles
March 19, 2019 No more improvements
March 23, 2019 Still the same
March 25, 2019 The sized of the head had visibly increased
March 27, 2019 No difference
April 2, 2019 The tadpoles become bigger and they consume more
food than before
April 4, 2018 Still the same
April 6, 2019 The hindlegs of some tadpoles were growing
April 9, 2019 The hindlegs gets longer
April 12, 2019 The front arms starts to grow
April 14, 2019 The tadpoles front arms looks a little longer and the body
looks a little slimmer and they look like a little frog but
with a long tail
April 15, 2019 The froglets starts to jump and the tails starts to get
shorter
April 16, 2019 They start to climb and stick to the walls of the container
and their tails were almost gone