Development of Frog

(Anura)

3rd Laboratoty Activity is presented to

Prof. Carimah M. Usman
Faculty of the Biology Department
College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Mindanao State University- Main Campus

In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Course
ZOO 105 – Developmental Zoology
1st Semester

Group 6
Norsalinda Pandapatan
Mark Roland Paulican
Kent Deaven Ranes
Farhanah Rangiris
Zia Ammarah Sarip

December 2022
Introduction
A frog is any member of the order Anura, which is made up of a variety of short-
bodied, tailless amphibians that are primarily carnivorous. A mature frog has a strong
body, outward-facing eyes, a tongue that is anteriorly attached, folded-under limbs, and
no tail (the tail of tailed frogs is an extension of the male cloaca). Frogs have glandular
skin, and their secretions can be harmful or repulsive. To demonstrate toxicity and deter
predators, its skin can range in color from well-camouflaged mottled brown, grey, and
green to striking patterns of bright red or yellow and black. Adult frogs can be found in
both freshwater and terrestrial environments, while certain species can even survive
underground or in trees (Wikipedia).

The frog undergoes embryonic development before becoming a tadpole, much

as any other organism. Because they are simple to raise, take up little space, and are
sensitive to environmental changes, they are frequently used in laboratories. Most frogs'
translucent eggs allow scientists to observe embryos developing from single cells into
squirming tadpoles (American Museum of Natural History).

The following are the embryonic stages of frog development:

I. Single-celled stage

II. Two-celled stage III. Four-celled stage

III. Eight-celled stage V. Sixteen-celled stage

VI. Thirty-two - celled stage VII. Blastula in section

VIII. Late cleaveage IX. Overgrowth of pigmented cells

X. Gastrula (Yolk plug) stage XI. Gastrula in section

 At a position on the embryo's surface that is roughly 180 degrees, the frog begins
to gastulate. With the development of a dimple, known as the blastopore, opposite the
point of sperm entrance. Cells move in the direction of the animal pole through the
blastopore. The blastopore enlarges and forms a circle and the lateral and ventral
mesoderm are formed from cells that migrate across this circle.
During the process of gastrulation, the ectoderm, which is the precursor to the
epidermis and the nerves inside the embryo is the endoderm, which is a forerunner to
the gut lining, and the mesoderm, which is the precursor to blood, skeleton, gonads, and
kidneys, develops between them.
XII. Neural fold stage XIII. Small tadpole stage

The neural tube is created when the neural precursor cells stretch, lengthen, and
fold into the embryo. They are covered by the epidermal cells. The neural crest cells
evolved from the cells that had joined the neural tube to the epidermis. The neural crest
cells resemble a fourth germ layer in many ways. They produce the body's pigment
cells (melanocytes), peripheral neurons, an d the face's cartilage. The somites, which
are the predecessors of the frog's back muscles, spinal cord, and dermis (the inner layer
of skin), are segmented from the mesodermal tissue next to the notochord. These
somites resemble mesodermal tissue blocks. The embryo grows into the usual tadpole
structure, with a mouth and anus.
 Questions:
As you view the images of the early development of the frog embryos, make
sure you consider the following questions and include in your drawings anatomical
details that provide answers to these questions.

For Figures 3.
1. What is the normal position of the gray crescent with respect to the first cleavage
furrow?
- The cortical/cytoplasmic rotation causes the gray crescent to frequently appear on the
side opposite sperm entrance. Because the gray crescent designates the side containing
dorsal content, the initial cleavage furrow frequently cuts through it. The embryo is
divided into right and left halves by the first furrow, which symbolizes the embryo's
future median plane.

2. Describe the relative decrease in blastomere sizes (a) between the animal and
vegetal pole at any one time, and (b) among blastomeres of the animal pole from
the second cleavage to the blastula stage.
(a) It is clear that the animal and vegetable pole blastomeres vary in size. The dense
cells in the animal hemisphere are smaller than the nutrient-rich cells closer to the
vegetal pole, which divide more gradually. Two unique size categories of cells are
available when the embryo is multiple hundred cells old: the smaller, more abundant
animal-pole cells and the larger, less numerous vegetal-pole cells.
(b) As cleavages take place, the emerging cells organize themselves into a vacuous
sphere called a blastula that encloses a cavity packed with fluid, termed a blastocoel.
Back to the gray crescent, a wrinkle forms directly below the gray crescent's former
location, enabling the area's formerly external animal pole cells to descend into the
blastocoel as a sheet as a whole. The descending sheet gradually moves in, propelled
by the quick growth of freshly created surface cells.
3. Describe the location of the pigment granules in the blastomeres. Are pigment
granules present in the vegetal blastomeres?
The animal half and yolk of the egg contain the colored granules that make up the
blastomeres. The whole animal hemisphere is given a rich brown hue by the presence
of these granules. The vegetal pole has little color granules and is white in color.
4. When is the notochord first apparent? How are its cells distinctive from those of
the neighboring tissues?
Mesoblastic cells transfer cranially from the original knot across the ectoderm and
endoderm on day 16 to create the notochord in the middle at the rostral end of the
embryo. The formation of the neural tube is when the notochord first occurs. They are
denser than the tissues close by since they are their neighbors.
5. What is the fate of the vegetal blastomeres? Estimate the fraction of these cells that
go on to constitute the archenteron wall.
By the midblastula phase, vegetal pole blastomeres are constrained to their typical
destiny in the endoderm; however, their potency is not limited to the endoderm until the
start of gastrulation.

For Figure 4.
1. Locate the notochord and chart its development. Does it grow larger or longer?
This structure is the common denominator humans share with all other chordates,
but it does not persist in all chordates. What is the developmental significance of
the notochord?
As the tail finishes elongating, the notochord grows in size. The notochord plays
crucial functions in the growth of vertebrates and defines the structure of the
chordates. It acts as a significant skeletal component of the growing embryo as well
as a conduit of midline signals that design neighboring tissues.

2. From what germ layer does the lens of the eye originate? What about the liver,
skin, lungs, kidney, and gut? To answer these questions, review the slides of
younger embryos and locate in them the primordia of these organs.
Various embryonic sources can be found for many eye component parts. The retina,
the epithelial layers of the iris, and the ciliary body are produced from the anterior
portion of the neural plate, whereas the lens and cornea are generated from the
underlying ectoderm. The foregut endoderm gives rise to the lungs, the mesoderm to
the liver parenchyma, the ectoderm to the skin, the intermediate mesoderm to the
kidney, and the mesoderm to the linings of the gut wall.
3. Recall the blastopore in the frog gastrula and neurula. What structure does it
correspond to now? Justify your answer.
Following the development of the archenteron, the blastopore and a second aperture
in the frog gastrula subsequently grow into the mouth and anus, the two entrances of
the digestive tube.
4. When do the lungs first appear? Why not earlier?
The development of the frog's lungs occurs throughout metamorphosis, replacing the
gills it previously possessed. The fourth week of the tadpole is when this occurs.
Owing to the fact that frogs lack ribs and a diaphragm, in contrast to humans, where
they both aid in chest expansion. Lungs do not emerge in young frogs. However, when
they are young, they breathe using their gills.
5. What is the embryonic origin of the pituitary gland? Explain.
The pituitary gland has two developmental origins: the anterior and posterior the
posterior lobe develops from the neural ectoderm, whereas the intermediate lobes
come from the oral ectoderm.
6. What are the differences between dermatome, myotome, and sclerotome?
The dermatome, myotome, and sclerotome are the three main somite areas in
vertebrates. The dermatome, a region of skin where sensory nerves originate from a
single spinal nerve root, serves as the connective tissue. Some of the skeletal muscle
is formed by the myotome, while the vertebrae are created by the sclerotome.
7. What is the relationship between the pharyngeal pouches and the external gills in
the tadpole?
Pharyngeal, or gill, clefts are formed when the lateral chambers of the pharyngeal
cavity, also known as pharyngeal pouches, pierce through the mesodermal layer and
contact the ectoderm. These interstitial spaces in fish and amphibian larvae evolve
into gills and constitute respiratory organs.
8. What is the cloaca? In which other chordates is the cloaca present?
Invertebrates have a shared chamber and outlet called the cloaca, into which the urine,
genital, and digestive tracts open. It is found in elasmobranch fish, including sharks,
monotremes, birds, amphibians, and reptiles. Both bony fish and placental mammals
lack a cloaca.