Science (frog anatomy) - 1/20/2026

External nares

Openings to the respiratory system that bring air into the body

Nictitating membrane

Protective membrane that covers the eye during feeding or swimming

Tympanic membrane

External eardrum that receives sound and transmits it to the brain

Skin

Smooth, moist covering; helps with respiration through the skin

Cloaca

Common exit for digestive, urinary, and reproductive systems

Nuptial pad

Thick pad on male frog’s thumb used for gripping during amplexus

Webbed feet

Propel the frog through water during swimming

Tongue

Sticky muscle used to extend out and catch prey

Mandible

Lower jaw; grasps prey and has no teeth

Vomerine teeth

Specialized cone-shaped teeth used to grasp prey

Esophagus

Tube that carries food from mouth to stomach via peristalsis

Stomach

Muscular sac that aids in mechanical and chemical digestion

Intestine

Long tube where chemical digestion occurs; connects stomach to rectum

Pancreas

Gland that produces insulin and regulates blood sugar

Liver

Produces bile and filters toxins from the blood

Gall bladder

Stores bile made by the liver

Spleen

Immune organ that digests worn-out blood cells

Fat bodies

Insulate the body and provide nutrition during mating and hibernation

Kidneys

Filter blood waste and produce urine

Bladder

Stores urine until it is released

Rectum

Final part of digestive system; stores solid waste

Glottis

Slit-like opening in the mouth that leads to the respiratory system

Lungs

Exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide

Brain

Controls the body, senses, and daily functions

Cerebral hemispheres

Forebrain region for thinking, memory, and movement

Olfactory lobes

Forebrain region that interprets smells

Optic lobes

Midbrain region that processes visual information

Cerebellum

Hindbrain region for coordination and balance

Medulla oblongata

Hindbrain region that controls automatic functions like breathing

Vertebrae

Ten bones that protect the spinal cord