Anuran Embryonic Development

Antonio, Francis Xavier S. 1,*, Espejo, Frederick M.2, and Batang, Joy Q.3
1
Junior High School Faculty – St. Mary of the Woods School, Makati City, NCR
2
Junior High School Faculty – The Seed Montessori School, Quezon City, NCR
3
Junior High School Faculty –, DepEd - Pasay, Pasay City, NCR
francis_antonio@dlsu.edu.ph

Abstract:
Animal embryology plays an important role in explaining the development of an
organism from fertilization to birth. It entails the detailed information on how the
organism develops its different body parts before it is ready to be born. This is an
experiment conducted to showcase the different key stages of embryology of Anurans:
Blastulation, Gastrulation and Neurulation. In this paper, different prepared slides were
viewed under the microscope under the 4X Scanner objective and 10X Low Power
objective and significant embryonic parts were located and identified such as the
blastopores, blastocoels, neural groove, neural fold and the germ layers. A series of
responses to the guide questions regarding the experiment was also exemplified. This
paper identified the key stages of embryonic development and indicated the key parts per
stage of Blastulation, Gastrulation, and Neurulation stages. Understanding the embryonic
stages can help fill in the gaps of missing knowledge between the fertilization stage,
organogenesis stage and most importantly, birth.

Keywords: anura, embryo, development, blastulation, gastrulation, neurulation

I. Introduction

Development describes the progressive changes in an individual from its beginning to maturity.
In sexual multicellular organisms, development usually begins with a fertilized egg that divides
mitotically to produce a many-celled embryo. These cells then undergo extensive rearrangements and
interact with one another to generate an animal’s body plan and all of the many kinds of specialized cells
in its body. (Hickman, et al., 2017).
The study of embryology is crucial to connect the ideas learned in the reproductive system to the
juvenile development of any animals after birth. In this experiment conducted, it primarily aims to
identify the different stages of embryonic development in frog specifically, cleavage, blastulation,
gastrulation and neurulation and also identify the different structures associated with the different stages
of embryonic development. Furthermore,

II. Materials and Methods

Viewing the Frog’s Embryonic Development under the Scanner Objective and Low Power Objective
(LPO)
The materials used for the activity were a light microscope and the prepared slide of the frog’s
ovary, and embryos showing the stages of early cleavage, late cleavage, gastrulan stage, blastula stage,
neural plate stage and neural tube stage. It was used as a specimen to examine the different stages of the
embryonic development of frogs. The prepared slides were viewed initially under the 4X magnification or
the scanner objective and then under 10X magnification or the low power objective (LPO) of a light
microscope.

Several subgoals were set in each stage of embryonic development. In the frog’s ovary, the goal
is to view the well-defined nucleus. In the cleavage stages, the prepared slide of the embryo under the
aforementioned stage, specifically the early cleavage were examined to locate the blastomeres that made
the embryo. In the slide of the late cleavage stage, the typical embryo at that specific stage was also
located. In the blastulan stage, the micromeres, macromeres, vegetal pole and animal pole was identified.
In the gastrulan stage, the prominent cavity, the primitive gut and the germ layers were identified. In the
neurulan stages, the parts such as the neural plate, neural folds, neural tube, and the notochord and mass
of cells which made up the mesoderm of the embryo.

III. Results and Discussion

Viewing the Frog’s Embryonic Development under the Scanner Objective and Low Power Objective
(LPO)
The following images were taken under the light microscope. It includes the descriptions of the
experiment’s goal in locating specific anatomical parts of the frog’s developing embryo.

Figure 1. Early Blastulation: Blastomeres are noted to be present in the fertilized zygote.

Figure 2. Blastulation Stage: Blastocoel is noted to be a fluid filled cavity found in the embryo.
Figure 3. Gastrulation stage: The primitive gut is the largest cavity shown, with the blastocoel as the
second largest cavity, together with the germ layers are also identified.

Figure 4. Early-to-Mid Neurulation Stage: The primitive gut starts to fold downwards with the yolk
cells seen on its posterior.
Figure 5. Mid-late Neurulation stage: A depression or neural groove is seen bounded by the neural fold
with the mesoderm, primitive gut and the yolk cell also noted.

Figure 6. Late Neurulation stage: The neural tube is formed from the neural fold depressons, with the
notochord, primitive gut, and the germ layers also identified.

There are four major stages of embryonic development. It starts with the fertilization stage where
the unity of the sperm and egg takes place, forming the fertilized egg called zygote. This follows a series
of cell divisions called the Blastulation stage. During this phase, there is the formation of the blastopores
and cells differentiate into the trophoblasts and the inner cell mass, therefore forming the blastula. The
next stage is the Gastrulation stage where the single-layered blastula is reorganized into a multilayered
structure called the gastrula. The Neurulation stage pertains to the folding process in embryos, which
consists of the transformation of neural plate into the neural tube. The final phase of the embryonic
development is the organogenesis which pertains to the neurula developing into the different organs of
the animal.
 Humans, having their egg types alecithal in nature gets the nourishments through the placenta,
which connects the embryo to the mother. This feature enables the alecithal eggs to be able to neglect or
disregard its egg.

IV. Summary and Conclusion(s)

Examining embryos from different species, biologists have noted common features of early
stages, of embryonic development of animals. (Urry et al., 2016). Because the processes and mechanisms
of embryonic development have many common features, lessons learned from studying a particular
animal can often be applied quite broadly. Embryology helps in understanding how are the different body
parts developed into the organs and tissues seen at birth. Understanding embryology can imply the
difference of development in different animal groups and phyla. Since that animals reproduce differently
and in various ways, embryology builds the bridge that answers the gap of knowledge between
fertilization and birth phase.

Literature Cited

Bhavya, S., (n.d.) Development of Frog (With Diagram), Retrieved from

https://www.notesonzoology.com/frog/development-of-frog-with-diagram-vertebrates-chordata-
zoology/8626

Hickman, C.P., Keen, S. L., Eisenhour, D. J., Larson, A., & I’Anson, H., (2017). Integrated Principles of
Biology. McGraw-Hill Book Company.

Rough, R. 1951. The Frog: Its reproduction and development. McGraw-Hill Book, Company.

Urry, L. A., Cain, M. L., Wasserman, S. A., Minorsky, P. V., & Reece, J. B., (2016). Biology 11th
Edition, Pearson, Inc., New York City
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