Question

How is a frog disected?

Answer 1

Lay the frog on its back, spread out its limbs, and pin them to the tray. Use forceps to lift the skin between the hind legs and make a small incision with a scalpel. Continue the cut up the center of the frog's body with scissors, being careful to cut through the skin only. Use forceps to hold the skin away from the muscle while you cut, if necessary. Make horizontal incisions just above the legs and just below the arms, then fold the resulting flaps back and pin them. (You may need to use a scalpel to help separate the skin from the muscle underneath as you fold it back.)Repeat the incisions as before, this time cutting through the muscle layer to a point just below the arms. Lift the muscle with the forceps to prevent cutting the organs underneath.When you reach the area just below the arms, turn your scissors and make horizontal cuts through the hard sternum. Repeat the horizontal cuts just above the arms, and then remove the bony strips entirely. Pin the remaining muscle flaps back, just as with the skin.Look into the body cavity. The yellow finger-like projections on the sides are the fat bodies. It may be necessary to remove some of these in order to see the organs clearly. Likewise, a female specimen may have well-developed eggs filling the body cavity and obscuring the organs. Remove them as necessary.