Ex. No.

The Digestive System of the Frog

The skin and thin muscles of the ventral body wall must be cut to expose the
viscera, preferably with the use of the forceps and scissors only. Lift and cut the
skin across just anterior to the hind legs. Hold up the cut edge and slit the skin only
forward to the chin. Keeping the inner blade of the scissors close up beneath the
skin. Also cut the skin transversely at the forelimbs, spread it laterally and pin out.
Lift the chin muscular abdominal wall posteriorly and make a short cut about 3
mm to one side of the median white or reddish line (the linea alba). Insert one point
of the scissors and cut forward at one side of midline through the posterior
cartilage of the pectoral girdle. Make a similar cut on the opposite side; this leaves
a narrow medial strip of muscle with the abdominal vein inside dorsally; preserve
this vein. Lift and cut the median strip anteriorly, then carefully dissect it free from
the vein back to the posterior end.

Lift and cut through the pectoral girdle in the median line and continue
through the muscle of the lower jaw. Gently force apart the cut margins of the
girdle.
Put the frog in a dissecting pan; pin aside the edges of the body wall and also the
sides of the pectoral girdle. Moisten the specimen or immerse in water.

The coelum and the organs within are lined with a thin smooth membrane,
the peritoneum. Dorsally the peritoneum is folded downward to enclose and
suspend the digestive tract and other organs. Between the organs and the dorsal
wall the two layers of supporting peritoneum are in contact with each other and
form a thin supporting mesentery in which blood vessels and nerves pass to and
from organs.

The pericardium and pericardial sac around the heart are also peritoneum,
and the pericardial space is a part of the coelum separated off during embryonic
development. In a female the peritoneum is perforated by the opening of the
oviduct.
The body wall surrounding the coelum consists of the skin, lymph sacs muscles
and peritoneum. The digestive system is composed of the digestive tract or
alimentary canal and its associated digestive glands.

Identify the following parts beginning anteriorly.

A. Digestive tract.
1. Mouth and mouth cavity
2. pharynx-behind mouth cavity
3. esophagus-short, dorsal to heart; insert probe through the pharynx to
locate
4. stomach-whitish; large;anterior and cardiac smaller, posterior or pyloric
end
larger and constriction of pyloric valve at the end.
 First organ where chemical digestion takes place
5. small intestine-short anterior loop beside the stomach is duodenum and
receives bile duct; remainder is ileum.
 Digestion of food is completed here
6. large intestine-dark, connects to the cloaca.
 Undigested food is stored here before leaving the digested system

7. Cloaca-within the pelvic girdle; common end of digestive, excretory an

reproductive systems.

8. Anus

B. Digestive Glands.
1. pancreas-irregular, glandular tissue, yellowish white; between stomach
and
duodenum.

 Produces several chemicals which aid in digestion

2. Liver-reddish brown gland ventrally located at the anterior portion of the

pleuro-peritoneal cavity.

 Largest organ
 Produces bile – chemical aid in the digestion of fat

3. Gall bladder-greenish sac, at the median lobe of the liver.

  Stores bile that releases it in the small intestines

Guide Questions:

1. State the functions of the parts of the digestive system.

Firstly, the digestive system is composed of digestive glands that produce and store
secretions in the body, in which it carries to the digestive tract in ducts and breaks
down chemically.

Alimentary tract is composed of:

Mouth and mouth cavity

The first part of the digestive tract and the passage way where the food
enters for digestion.

Pharynx

Both function in digestion and respiration. For digestion, pharynx serves as a

route for the motion of food from the mouth to the esophagus with the help
of its muscular walls for swallowing.

Esophagus

It serves as the tube that links the mouth and the stomach in a frog.

Stomach

The first organ where food is broken down and generates enzymes used for
digestion.

Small Intestines

Where digestion takes place and absorption of digested food.

Large Intestine

Undigested food is stored in this organ before leaving the digestive tract.

Cloaca
 Where products of urogenital and digestive system pass through when
discharged from the body.

Anus

The last portion of the digestive tract and where feces is completely
excreted.

Digestive glands is composed of:

Pancreas

It secretes digestive enzymes that aids in digestion

Liver

Processes digested food molecules and produces bile a chemical aid in the
digestion of fat.

Gallbladder

It stores bile and releases it in the small intestines

2. Why must food be digested?

Food is the primary source of energy and is used in cell repair and growth of an
organism to survive through digestion and absorption. Digestion is the mechanical
and chemical breakdown of food into smaller fragments of nutrients that are
absorbed and transported throughout to the body's cells. Thus, food is digested in
an animal's body for energy, enabling an organism to do work and its ability to
generate new cells that are used for growth – a criterion for reproduction and
survival.

3. What are feces?

It is the solid waste discharged of an organism that could not be digested in the
small intestines. It contains components left from the metabolic processes thus
excess that cannot be used by the organism and must therefore excreted. Feces are
defecated in the anus or cloaca.
4. Enumerate the different digestive enzymes, their actions and the food
substances that are acted upon by these enzymes.
Amylases is present in the salivary glands, pancreas, and small intestines that are
responsible for the chemical breakdown of foods. It splits carbohydrates such as
starch and sugars into simple sugars like glucose that is digested into other
enzymes. Proteases and peptidases are produced in stomach, pancreas, and small
intestines. It splits proteins into small peptides allowing absorption of amino acids.
Lipases are present in the pancreas and small intestines which are essential for the
full digestion of fatty acid components such as fats and oils. Nucleases are found in
the pancreas where it split nucleic acids into nucleotides.

5. Trace the passage of food in the alimentary canal.

The frog’s mouth is the passageway of food to begin digestion. As its food is trap
inside the mouth cavity, it slowly moves to the pharynx and then to the esophagus.
It is aid by peristalsis – wave-like muscle contractions that propel the food further
in the digestive tract. Furthermore, the esophagus connects with the stomach; the
organ that mixes and grinds the digested food and produces enzymes, making it
faster to break down chemical substances that consist of nutrients for absorption.
The stomach is continuous to the small intestines. Thus, digestion of food in this
tract is nonstop and where most absorption of nutrients happens. The undigested
substances are store in the large intestines in which it constitutes as feces. It is
carried into the cloaca and eventually excreted out of the anus.

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