LABORATORY REPORT

Conducted By: Date: March 4, 2024 Instructor: Sir John Rey R Espiridion

• Alcontin, Ryan

• Angeles, Lorenzo

• Centeno, Samantha

• Enclona, Sebastien

• Gamot, Jan Farren

• Gerodiaz, Lucas

• Lastierre, Yniazhe Heart

• Miles, Gabriel

• Palapal, Charrise

• Zoleta, Zeus

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Contents
Section 1: Introduction ................................................................................................... 3
Section 2: Materials and Methods .................................................................................. 4
Section 3: Results .......................................................................................................... 6
Section 4: Discussion................................................................................................... 11
Section 5: Conclusion .................................................................................................. 13
Section 6: References .................................................................................................. 14

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 Section 1: Introduction

The objective of this experiment is to discover the parts and organs making up a

frog. This experiment is done in order to inform and educate the students on the

different parts and structures of said frog. Additionally, it provides the students with a

new experience regarding the dissection of a frog. According to the Carolina Biological

Supply on frog dissection, “The dissection of preserved frogs is an engaging

introduction to vertebrate anatomy and mature body systems. Exploring the anatomy of

the frog allows discussions about adaptations and how anatomical structures are

related to their functions.” The learning experience that students experience is vastly

different from that afforded by a lecture or textbook lesson, concluding together all the

discussions and topics students have read about, dissection gives students a first-hand

experience in seeing the subject matter. Hence, this unique hands-on experience can

yield excellent understanding and appreciation of anatomy, unparalleled by second

hand teaching techniques (Edulab, 2016). Furthermore, frog dissections are done in

order to widen the perspective of students regarding the world and the body. In

dissection, students see, touch, and explore the various organs contained within.

Acknowledging how these organs work within a single system allows students to

comprehend how these systems work in many other animals, including themselves

(Boettcher 2013).

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 Section 2: Materials and Methods

In order to fully and completely comprehend, with factual information, how these

procedures are done, we will be borrowing the site “Carolina Biological Supply”. As the

conductors for the laboratory report, only conducted the dissection for the internal frog

anatomy, the procedure for that particular area will be focused on.

Equipment Required:

Lab Coat Face Mask Safety Goggles Scalpel (Preferably sharp)

Forceps Pins Trash Bag Alcohol

Gloves Suture Scissors Amonia Cotton

Retractors

Refer to the image

on the right for

reference: 

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Procedure:

1.) Lay the frog ventral surface up on the dissecting tray.

2.) Pinch the loose skin at the center of the frog’s stomach and make an initial

cut with the scissors into the skin.

3.) Cut through the skin, following the pattern shown in the diagram below.

4.) Follow the same pattern to cut through the muscle and reveal the internal

organs.

5.) Find the large brownish structure in the center of the body cavity, the liver.

This is the largest internal organ that consists of 3 lobes.

6.) Lift the lobes of the liver and locate the gallbladder. It is a small greenish sac

that stores bile.

7.) Use the labeled diagram below to explore the rest of the internal anatomy.

Identify the following internal structures:

a. Stomach

b. Small intestine

c. Large intestine

d. Spleen

e. Heart

f. Lungs

g. Fat bodies

8.) Follow all clean up and disposal instructions.

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 Section 3: Results

Once the experiment was done, and all organs have been dissected, present

organs in the frog were: the heart; two lungs; pancreas; stomach; small intestine;

esophagus; liver; kidney. As it was mostly the internal organs that were dissected, not

all organs were dissected from the frog, e.g. the mouth.

Organs Description Observed behavior during

the experiment:

Heart Three-chambered and it The heart kept beating

has no partition that even when the frog was

separates oxygenated and already dead. It was also

deoxygenated blood. covered in some white-

tinted muscle tissue that we

surmise to be protective

tissue, to well, protect the

heart.

Lungs A simple sac-cular organ. The lungs bloated up like a

Ventilation occurs under balloon during the

positive pressure. Air is procedure. We speculate

forced into the lungs by that this may be because of

muscular contraction of the the oxygen being trapped in

floor of the mouth and is the lungs whenever the frog

sucked in air and the

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 kept there by closure of the muscle contracted due to it

glottis. feeling severe pain from the

procedure. In observation

though, it looked like a

balloon covered with blood

vessels, and we though it

would actually pop like a

balloon, but it was

surprisingly very elastible,

even though it was bloated.

Pancreas A thin tissue strap located It was almost unnoticeable

within the “curve” of the due to how small it was. It

stomach that produces a was however indeed

variety of digestive located along the curve of

enzymes that are delivered the stomach lining, and it

into the small intestine. was slightly connected to

the small intestine, in which

we speculate is the

pathway for the enzymes to

travel to the small intestine.

Stomach Is an organ with strong It was very similar in shape

muscular walls that holds to a human’s stomach.

the food and mixes it with Around it were other

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 acids and enzymes that various digestive organs

help break it down into like the pancreas and liver,

absorbable liquid or paste. that we know to help digest

other parts of the food. It

was also connected to the

small intestine, which is

where nutrients are

absorbed.

Small Intestine An organ of considerable It was indeed very long,

length where further and was connected to the

digestion and absorption of stomach with a pyloric

food is conducted. sphincter (a type of gate

that closes and opens to

allow/disallow food to

pass). At the end, it opens

to the large intestine where

undigested foods are

stored. It was like a worm

that travelled through the

lower part of the frog’s

organ system

Esophagus It is a tube-like organ where It was connected

the food travels from the somewhere up above the

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 mouth into the stomach rest, where we hypothesize

is connected to the mouth.

The lower portion, however

was definitely connected to

the stomach, and it had a

very soft muscle structure.

Liver It is the largest digestive This organ was actually

gland or organ in the body very large. When we

of a frog. opened up the frog, we

could see the liver

immediately. It was a

reddish-brown color. And it

was actually situated above

the lungs, and closer to the

heart rather than the

stomach.

Kidney They are dark-red and bean With our frog, the kidneys

like structures, compact, were actually not that small,

occurring in pair located but it was not noticeable at

posteriorly, or behind, the first. But when we removed

body cavity on both sides of the other parts, we could

the vertebral column (or definitely see it. It was

spine) definitely larger than the

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 pancreas of the frog, and

we observed that there was

also two of them, just as the

description said.

The following are pictures taken from the laboratory during the procedure of dissection.

Credits to the Cameraman: Miles, Gabriel

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 Section 4: Discussion

We have observed that the structure of a frog and that of a human’s have some

similarities. In the organ structure, it was almost completely identical to that of a

human’s except for a few displacements and functions of each organs. Furthermore, the

muscle and bone structure of a frog was non-identical to that of a human anatomy. Not

only that, but we discovered that the skin of a frog is very durable and elastic which

helps them to survive in their habitat. Their eardrums, called the tympanum, allows them

to hear both in land and in water.

One function that their skin does, that we humans does not, is that their skin can

allow respiratory gasses to readily diffuse directly down their gradients between the

blood vessels and the surroundings. The kidneys of a frog help regulates its blood

pressure and filter it, this is only one part of its homeostatis, which is also present in

humans, that is responsible for maintaining the internal balance of the body.

An additional point, is that their process of digestion is almost completely similar

to that of humans, with the process beginning at the mouth, to the esophagus, to the

stomach, then it is digested with the help of acids that are located within the stomach,

along with enzymes produced by the liver and pancreas, the digested food is then put

into the small intestine where its nutrients are absorbed.

As discussed, the process is very similar to that of humans. A frog heart however

is not similar to that of humans. While humans contain four chambered hearts; two atrial

chambers, and two ventricles, frog hearts are three chambered, consisting of two atrial

chambers and one ventricle.

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 As there is a difference between the reproductive organs of human male and

female, it is to be expected that there is also a distinction between the reproductive

organs of male and female frogs. The male frogs have testes which produces sperm

and eject it through the cloaca. In a female frog, a pair of ovaries produce ovum and

pass it to oviduct which opens into the cloaca.

Considering ethicality in conducting dissection, we have discussed and

concluded that it is completely fine to conduct dissection as long as it is prioritized that

said dissection focuses on teaching, learning, and letting the students gather and

experience hands-on dissection, for deeper understanding of the topic. Cruelty, like

slow torture, operating while alive, dissection of endangered animals, disregard of

guidelines and procedures, are considered to be unethical within the scientific

community. Hence, it is ethical as long as guidelines and procedures are followed, and

education and research is prioritized.

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 Section 5: Conclusion

In conclusion, during this dissection, we learned and found out how to dissect a

frog. Additionally, we discovered about the different organs, its functions, where it is

located within the body, how it connects to each other, how it is compared to our

structure, and how each organ functions to make a frog, well, act like a frog. We did

encounter some setbacks, like the lungs bloating, which was an unexpected

occurrence, and the ammonia for the frog failing to put it to sleep and remove its

awareness, which resulted in our group having to pierce its brain with a needle.

However, everything came out successful in the end.

We consider our results successfully satisfying the conditions stated in the

introduction. We gained an understanding about frogs and its body, and we had a full

hands-on experience which let us further comprehend the frog’s structures, and

functions.

The importance of doing the experiment, as stated in the introduction, is to allow

students to better understand the topic at hand through hands-on experience, rather

than secondhand textbooks and modules/lectures. This helps the students to better

relate the information gathered to use in their life, and broaden their horizons regarding

different animal anatomies, including their own.

Last of all, we would like to thank Sir John Rey Racraquin Espiridion for this

opportunity to conduct this experiment/dissection. This was truly an eye-opener for us

all, to experience a full firsthand dissection of a frog.

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 Section 6: References

Boettcher, K. (2013, May 9). Why do Students Dissect Frogs? Retrieved March 4, 2024,
from Mental Floss: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/49855/why-do-students-dissect-
frogs

Carolina Biological Supply. (n.d.). Frog Dissection. Retrieved March 4, 2024, from
Carolina Biological Supply: https://www.carolina.com/teacher-resources/Interactive/frog-
dissection/tr48203.tr#:~:text=The%20dissection%20of%20preserved%20frogs,are%20r
elated%20to%20their%20functions.

Edulab. (2016, October 7). The Importance of Dissection in Biology. Retrieved March 4,
2024, from Edulab: https://edulab.com/the-importance-of-dissection-in-biology/

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