Experiment 5: The Integumentary System and Introduction to Frog Dissection

The integumentary system consists of the skin, hair, nails, glands, and the nerves and blood
vessel associated with it. The system’s organs serves as the first line of defense of our body against
microbes, environment’s physical and chemical agents, and injuries. Aside from functioning for
defense, the integumentary system also regulates our body temperature, and it helps us detect
changes in temperature in our surroundings. In this experiment, we will dive deeper on the different
structures present on the organs that are associated in the integumentary system.

One of the basic concepts in studying species in Zoology, is knowing the planes of the
body which includes Coronal, Sagittal, and Transverse. Coronal is also known as the frontal plane
which is a cut perpendicular to the ground and separate the anterior and posterior, the front from
the back, and the ventral from the dorsal. Sagittal is another cut perpendicular to the ground but
it separates the left from the right. Other types of sagittal planes include midsagittal plane which
is the sagittal plane in the middle of the body, and the parasagittal plane which parallel to other
sagittal planes. Lastly, we have Transverse which is an imaginary cut perpendicular to the ground
and separates the superior and inferior parts of the body. This knowledge comes in handy in
studying our species as we progress in the subject.

Frogs and toads make up the largest group of Amphibians under the class Amphibia which
is described as species that are ectothermic, anamiotic, and four limbed. In this experiment we will
be studying the Cane Toad (Rhinella marina) and the East Asian Bullfrog (Hoplobatrachus
rugulosus) via dissection which is a basic learning experience in Zoology since frogs have similar
body systems to other vertebrates like humans. With this, students are now ready to examine the
external and internal parts of specimen in this experiment.

Objectives

 Know and compare the different structures present in the integumentary system of humans
and frogs.
 Dissect a frog/toad and identify external and internal organs.
Task

A. Integumentary System

 Observe the slide named “Human Brown Skin” and draw it under Scanner Objective, LPO,
and HPO. Label all the parts present.
 Go to this website:
o https://www.luc.edu/biology/112lab/18-vertebratehistology/photos/frogskin40x/
o https://www.luc.edu/biology/112lab/18-vertebratehistology/photos/frogskin100x/
o https://www.luc.edu/biology/112lab/18-vertebratehistology/photos/frogskin400x/
 Draw each picture and label all the parts present.

B. External Anatomy

 Place the frog on the dissecting tray with the dorsal surface facing up.
 Observe the frog appendages that have evolved to adapt to terrestrial life. The frog uses 4
limbs to travel and move, making it a tetrapod. You will see that each forelimb includes
an upper arm, forearm, and hand. The frog’s hind limbs are divided into a thigh, lower
leg, and foot.
 Looking at the head, identify the 2 external nares at the head’s tip. These function as a
means of respiration.
 Find the round tympanic membranes that form the frog’s external sound receptors. You
will find these on the back side of the eyes.
 Look closely at the eyes and attempt to find the frog’s third eyelid; this is the nictitating
membrane that moistens and protects the eye. As the frog is deceased, this will appear as
a cloudy eyelid attached at the bottom of the eye; however, it would appear clear in a
living frog.
 Identify the cloaca, located at the specimen’s posterior end. The cloacal opening provides
the function of exit for all urinary, reproductive, and digestive systems.
 Reposition the frog to lie on its dorsal side.
 Carefully cut the jaw joints on each side of the mouth to enable you to open the mouth
wide.
 Locate the glottis (leads to the lungs) and oesophagus opening (leads to the stomach).
See Figure 1.
 Conduct a dental analysis. You will find 2 sets of teeth. Firstly, locate the fine maxillary
teeth lining the upper jaw. Secondly, locate the two prominent vomerine teeth located
behind the mid-region of the upper jaw.
 On the sides of the roof of the frog’s mouth, you should see 2 openings; the eustachian
tubes that lead to the tympanic membranes you identified earlier. The function of these
tubes is to aid in pressure equalization.
 Locate the tongue. Play with the tongue. Pay attention to its shape.
 Locate the parotid gland. Be cautious to not squeeze hard enough so that the secretions
will not squirt out. In case of emergency notify your teacher immediately.
C. Internal Anatomy
 Lay the frog ventral surface up on the dissecting tray.
 Pinch the loose skin at the center of the frog’s stomach and make an initial cut with the
scissors into the skin.
 Cut through the skin, following the pattern shown in the diagram below.
 Follow the same pattern to cut through the muscle and reveal the internal organs.
 Locate each organs below.
A. Fat Bodies --Spaghetti shaped structures that have a bright orange or yellow
color, if you have a particularly fat frog, these fat bodies may need to be removed
to see the other structures. Usually they are located just on the inside of the
abdominal wall.
B. Peritoneum A spider-web like membrane that covers many of the organs; you
may carefully pick it off to get a clear view
C. Liver--The largest structure of the the body cavity. This brown colored organ is
composed of three lobes. The right lobe, the left anterior lobe, and the left
posterior lobe. The liver is not primarily an organ of digestion, it does secrete a
digestive juice called bile. Bile is needed for the proper digestion of fats.
D. Heart - at the top of the liver, the heart is a triangular structure. The left and
right atrium can be found at the top of the heart. A single ventricle located at the
bottom of the heart. The large vessel extending out from the heart is the conus
arteriosus.
E. Lungs - Locate the lungs by looking underneath and behind the heart and liver.
They are two spongy organs.
F. Gall Bladder --Lift the lobes of the liver, there will be a small green sac under
the liver. This is the gallbladder, which stores bile. (hint: it kind of looks like a
booger)
G. Stomach--Curving from underneath the liver is the stomach. The stomach is the
first major site of chemical digestion. Frogs swallow their meals whole. Follow
the stomach to where it turns into the small intestine. The pyloric sphincter
valve regulates the exit of digested food from the stomach to the small intestine.
H. Small Intestine--Leading from the stomach. The first straight portion of the small
intestine is called the duodenum, the curled portion is the ileum. The ileum is
held together by a membrane called the mesentery. Note the blood vessels
running through the mesentery, they will carry absorbed nutrients away from the
intestine. Absorption of digested nutrients occurs in the small intestine.
I. Large Intestine--As you follow the small intestine down, it will widen into the
large intestine. The large intestine leads to the cloaca, which is the last stop before
solid wastes, sperm, eggs, and urine exit the frog's body. (The word "cloaca"
means sewer)
J. Spleen--Return to the folds of the mesentery, this dark red spherical object serves
as a holding area for blood.
K. Esophagus--Return to the stomach and follow it upward, where it gets smaller is
the beginning of the esophagus. The esophagus is the tube that leads from the
frogs mouth to the stomach. Open the frogs mouth and find the esophagus, poke
your probe into it and see where it leads.
L. Kidneys - flattened bean shaped organs located at the lower back of the frog, near
the spine. They are often a dark color. The kidneys filter wastes from the blood.
Often the top of the kidneys have yellowish stringy fat bodies attached.
M. Testes - in male frogs, these organs are located at the top of the kidneys, they are
pale colored and round.
N. Oviducts - females do not have testes, though you may see a curly structure
around the outside of the kidney, these are the oviducts. Oviducts are
where eggs are produced. Males can have structures that look similar, but serve
no actual purpose. In males, they are called vestigial oviducts.
O. Bladder - An empty sac located at the lowest part of the body cavity. The bladder
stores urine.
P. Cloaca - mentioned again as part of the urogenital system - urine, sperm and eggs
exit here.
D. Clean Up
 Place your frog/toads on a plastic container and fill it up with formalin
 Rinse and dry all of your dissection tools
 Wipe your things and work station

Guide Questions
1. What are the distinct differences on the integumentary system of humans and frogs/toads?
2. Define the following
 Dorsal
 Ventral
 Anterior
 Posterior
 Superior
 Inferior
3. What is cutaneous respiration? Discuss and explain its importance to the frog.
4. What are 3 unique characteristics of frogs that make them amphibians?
5. Discuss the function and importance of the parotid glands in cane toads.