The term urogenital is a combination of the

Greek word ouro meaning urine and genitales referring

to reproduction. Functionally, these are two separate
systems, namely the urinary or excretory system and
reproductive system. These systems develop from a

13
common germ layer origin and utilize common ducts to
release their products. Hence, they are usually
considered together.
The main organs of the excretory system are
the kidneys. These lie dorsal to all other organs in the
abdominal cavity and to the peritoneum, thus
retroperitoneal in position. The kidneys are made up of
nephrons that remove waste products of metabolism
from the body as well as regulate the amount of ions
inside the body of the animal. Urine from the kidneys is
collected by mesonephric ducts/ Wolffian ducts which
UROGENITAL in turn convey urine to the urinary bladder. The urinary
bladder lies ventral to the cloaca.
SYSTEM The paired gonads namely the testes and the
ovaries are the principal organs of the reproductive
system of sexually reproducing animals. These organs
are sites for the production of gametes. Moreover,
these are also sources of important hormones needed
for the development and sexual maturation of the
animal. The sperm is conveyed to the outside through
the kidneys and then into the mesonephric duct. The
eggs, on the other hand pass through the oviduct
which empties into the cloaca.

Objectives At the end of this activity, the student

should be able to

1. identify histologically the parts of frog's kidneys,

testes and ovaries.

2. identify the organs of the urogenital system of both

male and female toad.

3. trace the pathway of urine, egg cells and sperm

cells in the toad.
Materials

preserved frog/toad
dissecting set
dissecting pan
prepared slides : frog's kidney (x.s), frog's testes (x.s.), ovary (x.s)
compound light microscope

Procedure

A. Histologic Examination of the Urogenital System

1. Frog's Kidney

a Obtain a prepared slide of cross section of frog's kidney. Focus under LPO.
b. Find scattered within the field of view, tufts of capillaries each surrounded by
clear area. These are the renal corpuscles. Each renal corpuscle is made up of the
glomerulus (glomeruli,pl) which are the tufts of capillaries and the Bowman's
capsule, which is represented by the clear spherical area surrounding the
glomerulus.
c. Interspersed among the renal corpuscles are the renal tubules. This is
represented by rounded structures lined with epithelial cells. Identify the type of
epithelium lining the renal tubules.
d. The renal corpuscles and renal tubules make up a nephron, which is the
functional unit of a kidney. It is in this structure where the process of urine formation
occurs.
e. Label the illustration in the Activity Sheet

2. Frogs Testes

a. Secure a prepared slide of cross section of testes. Focus under LPO.

b. Notice the several compartmentalized ovoid structures within the field of view.
These compartments represent portions of the seminiferous tubules. The cells lining
these compartments are germinal epithelia, which function for the production of
sperm cells.
c. Focus on one seminiferous tubule under HPO, notice the varying stages of
development of sperm cells. There is a progression of maturity of sperm cells as
from the basal layer of the seminiferous tubule to the central cavity or lumen.
d. Identify the immature and mature sperm cells. The immature sperm cells appear
ovoid in shape with well-defined nucleus. The sizes of immature sperm cells vary
depending on the degree of maturity. Mature sperm cells, on the other hand appear
thread-like. Locate a group of spermatozoa.
3. Frog's Ovaries
a. Obtain a prepared slide of the frog's ovaries. Focus under LPO. Within the ovary,
the eggs are arranged into individual follicles composed of oocytes and follicle cells.
Notice that the entire ovary is surrounded by a covering called theca externa.
b. Find the egg cells specifically primary oocytes at various stages of maturity. The
degree of maturation of the egg cells can be determined by the amount of yolky
material accumulated in the cytoplasm. Mature oocytes will have more accumulated
yolk and pigments.
c. Observe one mature oocyte. Take note of the nucleus of the oocyte. It is
sometimes referred to as the germinal vesicle. Its nuclear membrane is serrated.
Within the nucleus are several nucleoli. Some of these nucleoli function in
organizing the distribution of accumulating yolk in the growing oocyte.
d. Focus on the cell membrane of the oocyte under HPO. Observe the ovoid cells lying
immediately outside the cell membrane. These cells are the follicle cells, which
function in nourishing the growing oocyte.
e. Aside from the growing oocytes, observe also masses of pigments located within the
ovarian tissues. These serve as sources of pigment for maturing oocyte.
f. Find surrounding the follicle cells a thin layer of connective tissue, the theca interna.
The theca interna or the cyst wall however does not cover the whole egg cell. It is
absent at the region of future of rupture during ovulation release of egg. The cyst
wall forces the egg to separate out from the surrounding follicle cells.

B. Gross Anatomy of the Urogenital System of Toad

1. Secure a preserved toad used in the previous activity. Rinse off excess formalin
with tap water.
2. Use a blunt end of a probe to search for the kidneys. Gently push the internal organs
on one side and make a slit in the parietal peritoneum to fully expose the kidneys.
Locate these brownish elongated organs situated at the retro-peritoneal region of the
animal. These lie close to the dorsal body wall, which are separated from the main
body cavity by a very thin membranous peritoneum.
3. On the medial part of the kidney, find a yellowish strip of tissue embedded in it. This
is the chromaffin tissue which is equivalent to the adrenal glands. This structure
may be difficult to see in some specimen.
4. From the outer margins of the kidneys, locate the threadlike mesonephric duct or
Wolffian duct which serves as passageway for both urine as well as reproductive
products into the cloaca.
5. Locate the urinary bladder, which appears as soft mass of thin tissue just ventral to
the large intestine. It is bilobed and empties into the cloaca. Since the mesonephric
duct open into the cloaca, urine backs up into the urinary bladder from the cloaca
unless the aperture or vent is open.
6. Expose the cloaca, by cutting through the ischiopubic symphysis with the scalpel
and pushing the pelvic bones aside. Cut open the cloaca just left of the midventral
line, separate the cut edges. Find the urinary bladder opening at the ventral wall of
the cloaca and the opening of the mesonephric ducts on the dorsal wall.
7. For male specimen, locate the paired testes, which are pair of yellowish, elongate
structures found at the ventral surface of each kidneys. A mesentery called the
mesorchium keeps the testes in place. Find the vas efferentia which are minute,
slender tubules lying on the mesorchium that function on conducting the sperm from
the testes to the kidney. The mesonephric duct found at the lateral margins of the
kidney, which was described previously is also termed as the vas deferens when it
functions for the passage of spermatozoa. Find anterior to the testes, the yellowish
finger like structures called the corpora adiposa or fat bodies. In male toad, the
Bidder's organ, a grayish mass of tissues situated anterior to the testis may be seen.
The Bidder's organ represents a rudimentary ovary. If the testes of a toad are
removed experimentally, and Bidder's organ is allowed to remain with blood supply,
the latter becomes a functional ovary.
8. For female specimen, locate the paired lobulated, saccular organs on the ventral
wall of the kidney. These are the ovaries. The ovaries are suspended from the
dorsal body wall by mesenteries called mesovarium. The ovary becomes very much
enlarged when the small, globular pigmented eggs are produced. A young ovary
appears as white and very much folded structure.
Locate at the anterior part of the ovaries, yellowish finger-like structures, the fat
bodies or corpora adiposa, which function in the storage of food during breeding
season. Find also the highly convoluted, white long tubes on each side of the ovary
called the oviducts or Muellerian ducts. Locate the anterior end of the oviduct, which
lies near the bases of esophagus and lungs. Look for the ostium, the most anterior,
funnel shaped opening of the oviduct. This serves as the entrance of eggs, which
are released from the ovary into the body cavity.
Follow the oviduct posteriorly where it enlarges into a distensible sac, called the
uterine enlargement, which stores eggs temporarily. Beyond the uterine
enlargement, the oviduct empties into the cloaca, anterior to the entry of the
mesonephric duct. The eggs are coated and released into the water where external
fertilization takes place
9. Switch specimen with a classmate whose toad is of the opposite sex. Study the
reproductive system of both sexes.

References

Duran, A.P. 1987. Laboratory Manual in General Zoology. A.P. Duran Enterprises.

Hickman, C.P., F.M. Hickman and L. Kats. 1997. Laboratory Studies in Integrated
Principles of Zoology. 9th edition. The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. pp. 251-265.

Pahl, George, FSC. 1987. Principles of Zoology Investigations. De La Salle University

Press, Manila.
II. Guide Questions:

1. What are major steps in urine formation in a nephron?

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2. Describe the important processes involved in gamete formation in testes and

ovaries. What are the major differences between the two?
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3. Use arrows and trace the pathway of the following in the frog:

a. urine b. egg cells c. sperm cells