Ms Cruse
Name ______________________________
Life Science
Date ____________ Per ________
Dissection of a Common Grass Frog
Rana pipiens
(or… “Tag „em and Bag „em”)
Purpose: Why dissect a frog?
Materials:
Frog, dissecting tray, tape, baggie, dissecting scissors, colored pins, blunt probe, and forceps
Procedures:
*********** Follow the numbered directions and proceed slowly and carefully. ***********
*******Answer all questions in a complete sentence – kickback the question in your answer *******
1. Rinse your frog under running water. Pat dry with paper towel. Fill out and attach “ID tag”.
a. Name him – he‟s your friend – write the name here.
2. Describe the skin (color, texture…).
a. How does the skin help the frog to survive? – check your notes if you‟re not sure.
3. Describe the rest of the body shape (What does it LOOK like?)
4. What makes the legs and feet so special to a frog?
5. What is special about the frog‟s eyes?
6. Find, check out and describe the “tympanic membrane” of the frog. What‟s it used for?
7. Locate the mouth (this should be pretty easy) Open it wide. Wider. WIDER! Insert the blunt probe
into the mouth and run it along the inside of the mouth. Feel the teeth under the rim of the upper jaw
(Maxillary). What do they feel like?
8. CAREFULLY cut the sides of the mouth with the dissecting scissors. Open the mouth VERY WIDE.
a. Notice the two sets of teeth.
b. Why does the frog have a second set in the middle of the mouth (Vomerine teeth)?
9. Describe the tongue. How it‟s attached, its shape etc.
Sketch tongue here.
10. How does this help the frog to survive?
11. Find the esophagus and probe it with the blunt probe. How does the food move through such a tight
spot? (Use a vocabulary word from your digestion notes)
12. Is the frog an amphibian or a reptile? Explain.
14. List some things that the frog might eat.
Name _____________________________
Date ____________
Per ________
Dissection of a Common Grass Frog – Part 2
Rana pipiens
(or… “Go for the Guts!”)
Procedures:
*********** Follow my directions and use the NetFrog info to guide you. ***********
*******Answer all questions in a complete sentence – kickback the question in your answer *******
1. You should have completed the descriptions, sketches and questions from Tag & Bag.
2. Place & pin your frog in the dissection pan. The frog should be lying on its dorsal (back) side.
3. We‟ll do the first skin and muscle incisions together, then…
4. Begin with the layer one organs. (refer to NetFrog computer dissection sheet as needed)
a. Observe the frog‟s liver – describe it here.
Sketch the liver here.
b. How is it different from ours?
c. What does the liver do for digestion?
d. Find and observe the frog‟s heart – describe it here.
Sketch the heart here.
5. Lift up the liver and find the gall bladder
a. Describe it here.
b. What does the gall bladder do for digestion?
Sketch the gall bladder.
6. Locate the stomach, small intestine and large intestine. Sketch this layer of organs, label each organ.
Sketch and label this layer of organs here.
a. What is the connective tissue attached to those organs called? Label that too.
b.
Why is it important to the frog?
7. Carefully remove the stomach, measure its length in mm _________ and, slice it lengthwise ().
a. Did the frog eat recently?
b. How can you tell? Describe what you found (or sketch it).
Sketch the stomach here.
c. Describe the inside of the stomach.
8. Remove the small intestine. Stretch it out and measure the length in mm. _________
9. What happens to (digested) food in the small intestine?
10. What happens to (undigested) food after it leaves the small intestine?
11. How are the frog‟s intestines different from a human‟s intestines?
12. Why do you think the frog has “fat bodies” instead of a layer of fat between the skin and muscle
Sketch the fat bodies.
layer like humans?
(Use color!)
Name __________________________________
Date __________
Per _____
Lab Report Due ___________
Frog Dissection Lab Scoring Guide
+
(200 point lab)
~ Please staple sheets in this order.
1. NetFrog Computer Dissection Sheet:
Purpose
10 _____
10 steps listed in order
10 _____
Brief description of 16 organs
15 _____
2. Frog Notes – Info Quest
25 _____
3. Color Coding Sheet:
Frog and human common organs labeled & color coded exactly alike
20 _____
4. Tag „em and Bag „em Sheet:
Purpose Statement: Why did we do this activity?
10 _____
All questions answered correctly and completely
30 _____
Sketches adequately drawn, descriptions included where requested
5. “Go for the Guts” Sheet:
All questions answered correctly and completely
25 _____
Sketches adequately drawn, descriptions included where requested
20 _____
6. Conclusion: A 2-paragraph essay about the similarities and differences of a frog versus a human.
- Use your lab experience and your notes to complete a well thought out and informative essay. 25 ____
7. Comments:
Comments clearly stated, related to lab experience
8. Extra Credit: Attach all sketches and work necessary to show you completed each task.
10 _____
_____
No extra credit will be awarded if the requirements (#1-7) are not turned in.
*** Please staple pages in order with this rubric on the front of the packet
_____
Ms Cruse
Name ______________________________
Life Science
Date ____________ Per ________
Extra Credit: – Check with me before you begin any extra work! – *point values included
(Choose any you wish to do – AFTER you‟ve completed all required sketches and descriptions!)
1. (*5) Locate and sketch the lungs.
2. (*10) Inflate the lungs, … figure out how… (show me) _____
3. (*10) Locate the pancreas – sketch (in its position in the body) and tell what the function of the
pancreas is.
4. (*10) Locate the spleen and kidneys – sketch them (in their position in the body) – label everything.
5. (*10) Is your frog a male or female? (Show me) _____
a. Prove it with a written description and sketches
6. (*10) Complete Frog vs. Human “Double Bubble” Comparison. (great tool for your conclusion essay!)
7. (*20) Use a separate sheet of paper to; a) Set up a chart comparing your frog to an avg. human;
total length/height, small intestine and stomach measurements. (Avg. human height = 5‟5”, sm int =
4m, stomach = 16 cm) b) Compare ratios – are they the similar? Don’t forget to convert units!
b.