Respiratory system of Frog

The process of gaseous exchange (O2 and CO2) and utilization of oxygen to breakdown food to
release energy is called respiration.
C6H12O6 + 6O2 6CO2 + 6H2O + E
There are two types of respiration.
1. Aerobic respiration: The respiration which takes place in the presence of O2 is called
aerobic respiration. It takes place in higher reaction.
C6H12O6 + 6O2 6CO2 + 6H2O + E
2. Anaerobic respiration: The respiration which takes place in the absence of O2 in which
there is no breakdown of food, so intermediated food formed.
C6H12O6 2C2H5OH + 2CO2 + E (ATP)
C6H12O6 2C3H6O3 + E
Lactic acid

Various Mode of Respiration in Frog

In frog, respiration is carried out by different methods:
1. Gill respiration
The respiration which are carried out through gills is called gill respiration. In larval stage of frog,
there is 4 pairs of gills are developed which helps to carried out the process of respiration. During
this process, gills absorbed the dissolved oxygen from the water and diffused into tissue cell for
the oxidation of food. Then, the harmful gas CO2 is released and gas diffused out through the same
path through which oxygen which oxygen is taken in.
2. Cutaneous respiration (Skin)
The respiration which is carried out by the help of skin is called cutaneous respiration. The
coetaneous respiration occurs in hibernation and aestivation and in water. The skin of frog is thin
and vascularised (skin is supplied with fine blood vessels) which is always moist due to mucous
secreted from the mucous glands. Due to moist skin, the oxygen from the environment diffuses
into the blood through skin and the carbondioxide diffuses out from the blood into the environment.

3. Bucco- pharyngeal respiration

The respiration which is carried by the help of buccapharyngeal cavity is called bucco-pharyngeal
respiration. The buccal cavity consists of moist mucous membrane and richly supplied with blood
vessels. The air enters into the cavity through external nares then internal nares and gaseous
exchange takes place through the lining of buccal cavity between blood and air present in the
cavity.

4. Pulmonary respiration (through lungs)

The respiration which is carried out by the help of lung is called pulmonary respiration. In frog,
pulmonary respiration is carried out by following:
i. External nostril
In frog, there is a pair of small openings at the tip of the snout is called external nares/nostril. This
openings are always opens and helps for the process of exhalation (expiration) and inhalation
(inspiration).
ii. Internal nostril
There is a pair of small opening just above pharynx inside the buccal cavity called internal
nares/nostril. This are concerned with the exchange of gases during respiration.
iii. Buccal cavity
It is wide cavity posterior to the mouth and bounded by upper and lower jaw. It is the site to carry
out the bucco pharyngeal as well as pulmonary respiration. During bucco-pharyngeal respiration,
internal nares, mouth and glottis remain closed but during pulmonary respiration, glottis opens but
mouth remains closed.
iv. Laryngo tracheal chamber
In frog, larynx and trachea consider together laryngo tracheal chamber. This chamber possess a
small opening anteriorly called glottis through which air from the buccal cavity pass through it
during inspiration.
v. Bronchi and bronchioles
The posterior part of laryngo tracheal chamber bifurcates into two small branches called bronchi.
Each bronchus then enters into the respective lungs and further divides into many finer branches
called bronchioles. Each bronchioles possess the small rounded sacs called air sacs or alveoli.
These are richly supplied with the blood capillaries and help to exchange the gases into the blood.
vi. Lungs
In frog, there is a pair of thin wall, soft, spongy and pink coloured lungs and located on either side
of heart. Each lung is covered by a thin membrane called pleura or pleural membrane. These are
the essential organ to carry out the process of pulmonary respiration.
INSERT THE DIAGRAM
Mechanism of Pulmonary respiration
In frog, mechanism of pulmonary respiration involves in the following three steps
1. Inspiration
The process of taking oxygen into the lung is called inspiration. During this process following
changes occurs:
 The mouth remains closed. The sternohyalas contract and the floor of buccal cavity is lowered.
The space in cavity is increased and air pressure is decreased. Therefore, air is taken in into
cavity through nares.
 The nares remain closed and petrohyals contract and floor is raised up. Space in cavity is
decreased and pressure is increased.
 Due to this, glottis opens, air passes into the lungs through laryngo tracheal chamber.

2. Exchange of gases
When the air reaches in the lungs, alveoli by the process of inspiration, partial pressure of O2 is
higher in the lungs alveoli than that of the blood capillaries around it. Due to the difference in
partial pressure of O2 and CO2, O2 from the lung alveoli is diffused into the blood capillaries and
CO2 from the blood capillaries is diffused into the lungs alveoli. This is called exchanges of gases.

3. Expiration
The process of throwing out of CO2 from the lungs is called expiration. It occurs in the following
steps
 First lungs contract. Due to contraction of abdominal muscles.
 Then volume of the lungs decrease and air pressure increases.
 CO2 is forced out into the buccal cavity through the glottis.
 Then glottis remains closed, sternohyal muscles contract and then petrohyal muscles
contracts and air of buccal cavity increase by raised up the floor of buccal cavity.
 Pressure increase and thus air from the buccal cavity is forced out to internal and external
nares.