Reproductive System

Frogs shows the sexual dimorphism, i.e. male and female frog can easily distinguish. The male frog is
slightly smaller than female frog. During breeding season male frog produce large croaking sound by the
help of vocal sac. The croaking is invitation for copulation ie mating call.
process of spermatogenesis. The connective
Differences between male/ female
tissue between the tubules is filled with no of
frog. Male reproductive system: interstitial cells, blood capillaries, nerve cells etc.
the interstitial cells are endocrine in function
It reproductive organ consists of a pair of testes, because it produces male sex hormones ie
vasa efferentia, seminal vesicles, ureter and testosterone. It act as the development of
cloaca. secondary sexual characters.
Male Frog Female Frog

Small in size Large in size

Copulatory pad present Copulatory pad absent

Vocal cord present Vocal cord absent

Testes: Testes are a pair of small yellowish,

elongated or oval body. It is attached to the
anterior ventral side of each kidney. It is about 1.5
– 2.5 cm long. Each teste is suspended by a double
fold of peritoneum called Mesorchium. Several
number of yellowish irregular fat bodies attached
to the anterior side of kidney.

Histologically teste consists of no of seminiferous

tubules which are lined with germinal epithelium.
The germinal cells produce spermatozoa by the
 Head is a large oval in shape with equal volume of
nucleus. Acrosome is a small cap like structure
which is attached to its tip of the sperm. It
contains lysine, helps to dissolved membrane of
ovum.

Neck is middle parts of sperm which contains

centrosome and mitochondria.

Tail is a long thread like structure which help in

wriggling movements of sperm.

Vasa efferentia: several number of seminiferous

tubules unite to form 5-10 small narrow duct, vasa
efferentia. It enters into the kidney. In the kidney it
opens into the Bidder’s canal, which leads into
longitudinal collecting tubules through transverse
collecting tubules. The tubule opens to outside
through posterior end of kidney, called Ureter.

Seminal Vesicle: Each ureter expands to form

seminal vesicle where the sperms are stored until
they are ejected out during copulation. The
seminal vesicle produces fructose to keep the
sperm alive. Ureter is a narrow tubular duct
where the urine and sperms pass through this
duct so that it is also called as urinogenital duct.
Cloaca is broad region which receives opening of
ureter and rectum. Cloaca opens to outside
through cloacal aperture.

Structure of spermatozoa

Spermatozoa is a microscopic elongated body. Its

body is divided into head, neck and tail.
 Female Reproductive Organs
Female reproductive system

It consists of ovaries, oviducts, ovisacs and cloaca.

Ovary: The ovaries are a pair small grey colour irregular

folded sac. They are attached to the ventral wall of kidneys
by fold of peritoneum called mesovarium. Histologically
ovary consists of three layers viz; outer theca externa,
middle germinal epithelium and inner theca interna.
Germinal epithelium produces oogonia. One of them
enlarges to form follicular cell with nucleus, ovum. The
mature ova are shed into the abdominal cavity and reach
to the ostium.
to form
ciliated
oviducal funnel called Ostium. At maturity the eggs
are shed and ultimately find their way into the
oviduct.
Oviduct: The oviducts are a pair of white color long Ovisacs: The coiled part of the oviduct posteriorly
narrow thin wall coiled tubes. It extends upto the dilates to form a thin-walled ciliated ovisacs or
base of lungs and present one on either side of uterus. It opens by a narrow cloaca near the opening
abdominal cavity. Anterior end of oviduct is dilated of ureter. Cloaca opens to outside through cloacal
aperture which discharges urine, eggs and
undigested food.
∙ During rainy season
∙ Croaking sound
∙ Sexual embrace (Amplexux)
∙ Insemination

The end

Structure of ovum

Ovum is a large spherical body about 1.8 mm in

diameter. It is surrounded by double transparent
membrane called vitelline membrane. Anterior half
of egg is black pigmented called animal hemisphere
which contains nucleus. Posterior part of egg is non
pigmented, vegetal hemisphere with large volume of
yolk. Such type of egg is called telolecithal,
mesolecithal egg. Unfertilized egg has single polar
body.

Mating behavior