DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

OF THE FROG

PLETA,
JANE C.
BS
FOOD AND FEEDING

• The adult frog is carnivoruous which feeds

upon small insects, worms, snails etc.
However, the tadpoles are herbivorous:
feeding on aquatic plants.
INGESTION

• The process of taking the

food into alimentary canal
through mouth is called
ingestion.
• The digestion process of frogs
starts with INGESTION
 DIGESTION

The process of breaking down of

complex food into simple soluble and
diffusible form with the help of their
respective enzymes is called
digestion.
Frogs mostly swallow their prey
whole.
This process is referred to as
 The Digestive system of the frog consists of:
• Digestive tract or alimentary canal
• Digestive glands
Alimentary canal is consist of: Digestive glands of frog
• Mouth and Buccal cavity
is consist of:
• Pharynx • Liver
• Oesophagus (Esophagus) • Pancreas
• Stomach
• Small intestine
• Large intestine
• Cloaca
1. ALIMENTARY CANAL (DIGESTIVE TRACT)

• The alimentary canal of the frog is

essentially a coiled-tube of varying diameter
that starts from mouth and ends in cloaca.
Alimentary canal is consist of:
• Mouth and Buccal cavity
• Pharynx
• Oesophagus (Esophagus)
• Stomach
• Small intestine
• Large intestine
• Cloaca
MOUTH
• It is the beginning to the alimentary canal.
• Mouth is a very wide gap. It extends from one side of the snout to
the other.
• Two bony jaws bound the mouth, and the jaws are covered by
immovable lips.
Maxilla bone – upper jaw
Mandible bone – lower jaw
• The upper jaw is fixed.
• The lower jaw is flexible i.e. it can move up and down to close or
open the mouth.
• Lower jaw is without teeth.
BUCCAL CAVITY

Buccal cavity is lined

by ciliated columnar
epithelia with mucus
glands.
SULCUS MARGINALIS

A groove which runs

throughout the extent of
the upper jaw, it receives
the lower jaw when the
mouth is closed.
MEDIAN SUBROSTRAL FOSSA
A prominent depression
at the mid-anterior
portion of the sulcus
marginalis.
PULVINAR ROSTRALE

 Slight elevations at the side

of the median subrostral
fossa.
LATERAL SUBROSTAL FOSSA
A pair of depression of the
sulcus marginalis lateral to the
pulvinars.
TUBERCULUM PRELINGUALE

The single elevation at the

tip of the lower jaw. This
fits into the median
subrostral fossa when the
mouth is closed.
 PRELINGUA FOSSA
• Depressions on either
side of Tuberculum
Prelinguale
HYOID CARTILAGE
• Where the tongue and other
muscles are attached and which
continuously moves during
respiration.
• INTERNAL NARES
(CHOANAE)
• Internal nares are
on the roof of a frog's
mouth in front of
Vomerine teeth.
• Two small openings
which are the inward
extension of the
external nares.
 TEETH
• Premaxillary teeth (premaxillae bone)
• Maxillary teeth (maxilla bone)
• Vomerine teeth (vomer bone)
FUNCTION
• Teeth are used to hold the prey and paralyze it.
• Teeth are NOT meant for chewing
 STRUCTURE

Teeth consists of two parts:

• The base which is directly attached to the bone so it is called
bony base.
• And the crown (free part portion of the tooth) consists of a
hard ivory-like substance called dentine which is covered by
the glistening and resistant substance called enamel.
• Tooth contains a central pulp cavity open at
the side. It is filled with a soft nourishing
pulp, containing connective tissues, blood
vessels, nerve and odontoblast cells that
produces new material for the growth of
tooth.
NATURE
• The nature of frog’s
teeth is:
HOMODONT
(similar)
ACRODONT
(attached superficially)
• Frogs are polyphyodont
in nature. (teeth are
continually replaced)
• Maxillary Teeth - Sharp
teeth in the maxilla of a
frogs mouth which line the
edge of the upper jaw mouth
that function in holding
captured prey.
• Premaxillary teeth
• Vomerine Teeth – located
between the internal nares.
Small projections in the top
of a frog’s mouth that
prevents foods from
escaping the mouth.
 EYE BULGES

• When a frog
swallows food, it
pulls its eyes down
into the roof of its
mouth. The eyes
help push the food
down its throat.
TONGUE

• In frogs, tongue is covered with sticky

secretions that can be readily extended and
withdrawn again.

• The slimy surface of tongue facilitates in

capturing the prey
• It lies on the floor of mouth cavity

• The anterior end of tongue is attached to

the inner border of lower jaw. It is attached
anteriorly and free posteriorly.
EUSTACHIAN TUBE OPENING

Eustachian tubes –
connects to the middle
ear. They are
responsible for
equalizing air pressure
in both sides of the
GLOTTIS
• Glottis is a narrow,
longitudinal slit like
aperture of laryngeal
prominence
• The glottis is the opening to
the lungs and is located in
the back of the mouth.
GULLET

• Gullet is the wide

opening that leads to
Oesophagus
PHARYNX

Posterior portion of the buccal cavity which

opens into the esophagus.

Eustachian tubes and vocal sacs open in

pharynx. Pharynx along with buccal cavity
participates in respiration. (Bucco-
pharyngeal respiration)
ESOPHAGUS

A short tube that

connects the pharynx
to the stomach.
The mucus of the wall of oesophagus helps to
lubricate and moisten the food. Enzymes are absent.
The food lowers down with the help of peristalsis.
Peristalsis- The wave-like motion by
which the food passes in the oesophagus
and the rest of the alimentary canal.
 STOMACH
• Stomach is a muscular organ
present on the left side in the
body cavity.

• It is around 4 cm long, large,

broad and slightly curved bag
or tube with thick muscular
walls.
• It is attached to the dorsal
body wall by a mesentery
termed as MESOGASTER.

Several prominent longitudinal

folds are present in the inner
surface of the stomach. It allows
the distension of stomach
when food is received.
FUNCTION:
• Digestion
• Temporary storage of food

FUNDUS - upper part of

the stomach, which forms a
bulge higher than the
opening of the esophagus
Stomach is divisible into:

• Anterior Cardiac
(Cardiac region) -
anterior part, large, and
broad
• Posterior
pyloric(Pyloric
region) - posterior
part is short and
narrow
 Hormone secreted by stomach - Gastrin
Gastrin activates cells that secrete HCl.
GASTRIC MUCOSA – lining of the stomach. Its mucous
epithelium possess:
• Oxyntic cells - secreting hydrochloric acids.

• Peptic cells- secrete the enzyme pepsinogen

 DIGESTION IN THE STOMACH
• The digestion start in stomach firstly breaking down
into small pieces by muscular action and then by
gastric juice.
• The presence of food in stomach produce gastrin
hormone which stimulates the gastric gland to secrete
gastric juice. The gastrin also regulates the secretion of
HCL which is produced from oxyntic cell.
• Gastric juice contains pepsinogen. Pepsinogen
changes into active form pepsin in acidic medium.
Pepsin hydrolyze the protein content of food into
soluble peptones and proteases.
• The carbohydrates and fats remain unaffected by
pepsin.
• The partial digested food is converted into
semi-solid state called as chyme which is
acidic.
• The food remains for about 2-3 hours in
stomach and the digested food is absorbed
while the remaining food is passed into
duodenum.
 SMALL INTESTINE

Small intestine is a long,

coiled and narrow tube. It is
about 30cm long, and is
attached mid-dorsally to
body wall by mesenteries.
It comprises of two parts: 
• Duodenum- anterior,
shorter part, bile duct
and pancreatic duct
open in it.
• It receives a common
hepatopancreatic duct.
• Low transverse folds
are formed by the
internal mucous lining.
 • Ileum – posterior part,
longest part of the
alimentary canal
• Before enlarging posteriorly
to join rectum, it makes
several loops.
 Small intestine consists of two types of cells:
• Goblet cells - secretes mucous
• Absorbing cells- responsible for the
absorption of digested food material

• In the small intestine, digestion of food and absorption

of digested food takes place
Hormones secreted by Small intestine:
• Enterogastrone – inhibits the release of
gastric juice

• Cck-Pz (Cholecystokinin-
Pancreozymin) – causes the release of
digestive enzymes and bile from the
pancreas and gallbladder
Bile

• Bile is a greenish alkaline fluid secreted by liver.

• It lacks digestive enzymes. Bile being alkaline in
nature neutralizes the acidity of chyme, emulsifies
fats, stimulates peristaltic action of intestine and
activates pancreatic lipase
• Secretin – hormone responsible for the secretion of
pancreatic juice so that it may enter the intestine for
further digestion
Pancreatic juice - It consists of three enzymes such
as trypsinogen, amylase and lipase. These enzymes
act best in an alkaline medium and hydrolyze the
food.
• Enterokinin – hormone that activates the secretion of
intestinal juice which is known as the Succus
Entericus.
Succus Entericus -  intestinal juice contains several
enzymes such as enterokinase, erepsin, maltase, lipase,
sucrose that act on all classes of food stuffs like
proteins, carbohydrates and lipids

• These enzymes act on all classes of food stuffs.

• Erepsin is the collective name for all proteolytic
enzymes or peptidases.
• It converts polypeptides to amino acids.
 DIGESTION IN SMALL INTESTINE

• The acidic chyme enters the duodenum through the

pyloric valve.

• In duodenum, the food is acted upon by the

combined action of bile, pancreatic juice and
intestinal juice.
• Thus, three important substances mix with the
food in intestine for the completion of digestion.

• The acidified chyme stimulates the mucosa of

duodenum to secrete the hormone secretin and
cholecystokinin.
• Secretin stimulates the pancreas to secrete
pancreatic juice.

• Cholecystokinin diffuses into blood circulation and

reaches gall bladder to contract and pour bile into
duodenum through hepatopancreatic duct.

• Digestion is accomplished in the small intestine.

 LARGE INTESTINE

• Large intestine is short,

wide tube about 4cm
long. It is represented
by the Rectum.
• It runs straight behind to
open into cloaca by anus.
• The inner lining of large intestine
forms numerous low longitudinal
folds.

• It serves for the re-absorption of

water and also the preparation
and storage of feces.
 CLOACA
• It is the small terminal sac-like
part
• The anus and the urinogenital
apertures open into cloaca.
• Cloaca opens to outside by the
vent or cloacal aperture, lying at
the hind end of body.
 II. DIGESTIVE GLANDS

• Keeping aside gastric glands and intestinal

glands, two large glands that are linked with
the alimentary canal of frog are the liver and
the pancreas.
 LIVER
• The largest gland in the
body of vertebrate.
• It is reddish-brown in color.
• It is multi-lobed gland and
lies close to the heart and
lungs
• Liver consists of innumerable
polygonal cells that secretes
bile.
• Bile is a greenish alkaline fluid.
Bile is stored in the thin-walled
sac called as gall bladder.
• Gall bladder is large, spherical,
and greenish in color.
• A common bile duct is formed when cystic ducts from
gall bladder and hepatic ducts from liver lobes
combines.
• It runs through pancreas and joins the pancreatic duct
to form a hepatopancreatic duct.
• Now, it ultimately opens into duodenum
• Bile lacks any digestive ferments and only emulsifies
fats
 PANCREAS
Pancreas of frog is much
branched, irregular
flattened and is yellow in
color.
• It lies in the mesentery
between stomach and
duodenum.
• It carries out both exocrine and endocrine function.

• The endocrine part is formed by scattered islets of

Langerhans. It produces insulin hormone which is
related to sugar metabolism.
• The exocrine part secretes pancreatic juice. This
juice contains of several digestive enzymes.

• Since pancreas lacks independent duct, the pancreatic

juice reaches the duodenum through the
hepatopancreatic duct.
EGESTION
• Digestion is accomplished in the small intestine.
• By peristalsis, the undigested part of food is slowly
moved into rectum for storage and preparation of
faeces.
• At intervals, the faecal matter passes into cloaca.
• And now it is egested through cloacal aperture.
 ABSORPTION
• The final products of digestion are absorbed through the walls of
small intestine.
• The internal absorptive surface is increased by folds with villi like
processes.
• The actual mechanism of absorption is only little known.
• Osmotic forces and other factors are seemed to play a part.
• The epithelial lining absorbs water, mineral salts and other
nutrients in the solution directly.
• Carbohydrates are absorbed as glucose and fructose,
and proteins as amino acids.
• These pass into blood capillaries in the folds.
• Then it is passed into hepatic portal system and so
into liver.
• Fatty acids and glycerol pass into lymphatic
capillaries or lacteals in the folds and so into the
veins.
ASSIMILATION
• The absorbed food can be used for two basic purposes of
nutrition:
• Liberation of energy during respiration.
• Assimilation as part of intimate structure of the animal.
• Excess of glucose may be stored as glycogen in liver and skeletal
muscles or converted into fats. These are deposited in adipose
tissue.
• Amino acids may for proteins for growth and repair.
• Or, it undergoes deamination resulting in the formation of urea to
be excreted by kidneys with urine.