Digestive System of Rana tigrina

The digestive system is a group of organs working together to convert food into energy and basic nutrients
to feed the entire body. It consists of five major functions: Ingestion, Digestion, Absorption, Assimilation
and Egestion. It consists of Alimentary canal, Digestive gland and Physiology.
Alimentary canal :- The alimentary canal is long coiled thin walled tube extends from mouth to the cloacal
aperture. It is suspended by thin fold of visceral peritoneum, called mesentery. It consists of following organ
parts.

1. Mouth: Mouth is a semi oval transverse slit like aperture situated at the terminal end of snout. It is
bounded by upper and lower immovable lips. Mouth remain closed all the time except during feeding. Food
begins its journey through the digestive system in the mouth. Mouth leads into the bucco-pharyngeal cavity.

2. Bucco-pharyngeal cavity: It is a large wide cavity bounded by upper immovable jaw and lower movable
jaw. It is lined with epithelial tissue. Structure present on the upper jaw;

a) Maxillary teeth: Teeth are the situated on the either side

of upper jaw. The teeth are small pointed and not fixed in the
sockets. These are directly attached with the maxilla. Such
type of teeth is known as acrodont teeth. All teeth are of the
same size and are called homodont type. These teeth break
occasionally and is replace by new ones. Such type of teeth is
known as polyphyodont. At the tip of the mouth, the
maxillary teeth are more pointed called the premaxillary
teeth. It helps in closing the tip of mouth, hold the prey and
paralyze its prey.

b) Fossae: there are three pits are situated at tip of upper jaw
just near the premaxillary teeth called fossae. It help to close
the mouth firmly all the time except during feeding.

c) Internal nares: internal nares are a pair oval aperture, situated in front of vomerine teeth. It helps to
allow respiratory gases.

d) Vomerine teeth: there are two set of small patches of teeth called vomerine teeth bending backwards
and are attached to the vomer bone one on either side of the median line of the roof of the buccal cavity.
It helps to prevent the escape of the prey.

e) Bulging of eyeballs: there are a pair of large oval bulging of eyeball on the roof of upper jaws. It forms
a socket for eyes and also believed that it helps in swallowing foods.

f) Eustachian tube: there are two small spindle shaped opening one on either side situated laterally near
the jaw angles called Eustachian tube. It connects the cavity of the pharynx and middle ear to open into
internal ear. It helps to keep the air pressure between pharynx and middle ear.
Structure resent on the lower jaw: The lower jaw of frog is moveable. The following structures are found
on lower jaw:

a) Tongue: Tongue is a large thick fleshy, sticky, bifid and protrusible muscular organ. The tongue is
attached in front inside the tip of lower jaw and free behind. The upper surface of tongue bears the taste
buds, small papillae and mucous glands. The tongue plays chief role
during feeding. The secretion of which keeps tongue moist. Neither
taste buds nor mucous glands produce any digestive enzymes. The
tongue can be thrown out and retracted suddenly to capture and engulf
prey. It is accompanied by protractor and retractor muscle.

b) Prelingual elevations: there are three small prelingual elevations at

the tip lower jaw. They fit in the fossae of the upper jaw and helps in
the closing of mouth.
Fig: structure of tongue
c) Vocal sac: in male frog, there are two oval opening of vocal sac on
the either side of the tongue on the angle of lower jaw. These acts as resonators at the time of croacking.

d) Glottis: it is a longitudinal median slit like aperture in the pharynx behind the tongue. It leads into
laryngo-tracheal chamber. It is guarded by valve to prevents passage food during feeding.

e) Gullet: bucco-pharyngeal cavity posteriorly leads into gullet. It is a large transverse opening aperture
lies just above the glottis. The food enters from the gullet to esophagus.

Structure of tooth:

The teeth of frog are acrodont, homodont and polyphyodont. The

tooth is small conical in shape. It consists of two parts: a base and
crown. The wide lower part of teeth is called base. It is formed of a
bone cell and attached to the maxilla whereas the upper part is called
the crown. It is composed of hard substance called dentine. The crown
is covered with hard and shining white substance called enamel. The
inner side of teeth is hollow and is called pulp cavity. It contains blood
vessels, nerves, connective tissue etc., which is nourishing the tooth
during the growth. It helps to hold the prey and paralyze its prey. Fig: Structure of tooth
3. Oesophagus: Oesophagus is a short but wider thin walled tube
about 3-4 cm long due to absence of neck. Its wall contains highly developed muscularis which play the
role in peristalsis. The oesophagus opens into the stomach.

4. Stomach: The stomach is a large thick walled sac like structure occupying the left side the body. It is
about 5-7 cm in length. It is divided into two regions the anterior expanded end of stomach is called
Cardiac end while the posterior narrow end is called pyloric end. Histologically it is composed of four layers
viz; serosa, muscularis, submucosa and mucosa. Its wall is muscular and glandular. The stomach plays
important role in the storage of food, mixing of food with enzyme and also digestion of food.
5. Small Intestine: The small Intestine is a long coiled thin wall
tube of about 30 – 35 cm in length. It is suspended by intestinal
mesentery. The small intestine is the main site for digestion
and absorption. It consists of Duodenum and Ileum.
Duodenum is the anterior part of the small intestine. it is short
wide U shape tube of about 3-5 cm long. It runs upward and
backward, to lie parallel to the stomach. Duodenum received
hepato-pancreatic duct from liver and pancreas. It plays
important role in digestion.

The second part of small intestine is called Ilium. It is long

coiled tube about 20-25 cm long. Its mucosa is lined with
irregular finger like projection called villi which plays important
role for absorption because villus is provided with blood
capillaries and lacteal.

6. Large intestine: Ileum is followed by large intestine called

rectum. It is short wide flask shape tube measures about 4cm.
its inner lining forms numerous folds. In rectum undigested
food material is stored which is ready to expel from cloaca.

7. Cloaca: It is a small sac like structure. Cloaca contains urinary

bladder, urino-genital duct and ovisac. Cloaca opens to outside
through slit like opening aperture called cloacal aperture. The
aperture discharges undigested substances as well as urine
and gametes.