Use the images and information below to find the function of each system and how they are similar and different between frogs and humans. You may also use google for any information you are unsure of or get curious about.
Human and Frog Digestive System
The digestive system is a group of organs working together to convert food into energy and basic nutrients to feed the entire body. Food passes through a long tube inside the body known as the alimentary canal or the gastrointestinal tract (GI tract). The alimentary canal is made up of the oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestines, and large intestines. In addition to the alimentary canal, there are several important accessory organs that help your body to digest food but do not have food pass through them. Accessory organs of the digestive system include the teeth, tongue, salivary glands, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas. To achieve the goal of providing energy and nutrients to the body, six major functions take place in the digestive system:
Ingestion - taking food in
Secretion - making chemicals to break down food
Mixing and movement - motions of the stomach turn food into a liquid mixture called chyme
Digestion - breaking down of the food into its basic parts - fats, sugars, proteins, and DNA particles
Absorption - taking in the useful or needed fats, sugars, proteins, and DNA particles
Excretion - getting rid of the remaining unusable food waste
Digestive Differences:
Check out the diagrams and pictures provided.
Digestion in a frog begins in the mouth. Although the frog has teeth, they are basically useless. The frogs tongue however is very important. Most of the time the tongue is folded back toward the throat. From here the frog is able to flick out the tongue very fast to catch its prey. The tongue is also very sticky. From the frogs mouth food passes into the stomach by the esophagus. From there the food moves into the small intestine. This is where most of the digestion takes place. There are large digestive glands, the liver and the pancreas, which are attached by ducts. Liquid wastes from the kidneys go through the ureters to the urinary bladder. Solid wastes from the large intestine go into the cloaca. Both the liquid and solid wastes leave the body through the cloaca (klo-ache-uh). The digestive system in humans is much more complicated.
The digestive system is a group of organs working together to convert food into energy and basic nutrients to feed the entire body. Food passes through a long tube inside the body known as the alimentary canal or the gastrointestinal tract (GI tract). The alimentary canal is made up of the oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestines, and large intestines. In addition to the alimentary canal, there are several important accessory organs that help your body to digest food but do not have food pass through them. Accessory organs of the digestive system include the teeth, tongue, salivary glands, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas. To achieve the goal of providing energy and nutrients to the body, six major functions take place in the digestive system:
Ingestion - taking food in
Secretion - making chemicals to break down food
Mixing and movement - motions of the stomach turn food into a liquid mixture called chyme
Digestion - breaking down of the food into its basic parts - fats, sugars, proteins, and DNA particles
Absorption - taking in the useful or needed fats, sugars, proteins, and DNA particles
Excretion - getting rid of the remaining unusable food waste
Digestive Differences:
Check out the diagrams and pictures provided.
Digestion in a frog begins in the mouth. Although the frog has teeth, they are basically useless. The frogs tongue however is very important. Most of the time the tongue is folded back toward the throat. From here the frog is able to flick out the tongue very fast to catch its prey. The tongue is also very sticky. From the frogs mouth food passes into the stomach by the esophagus. From there the food moves into the small intestine. This is where most of the digestion takes place. There are large digestive glands, the liver and the pancreas, which are attached by ducts. Liquid wastes from the kidneys go through the ureters to the urinary bladder. Solid wastes from the large intestine go into the cloaca. Both the liquid and solid wastes leave the body through the cloaca (klo-ache-uh). The digestive system in humans is much more complicated.
Human and Frog Respiratory System
The job of your respiratory system is very simple: To bring oxygen into your body, and remove the carbon dioxide from your body. Your body needs oxygen to survive.
Oxygen is used by your cells as it performs the functions of life. As your body uses oxygen, your cells produce another gas known as carbon dioxide. Too much carbon dioxide can be toxic, even deadly. For this reason, it is important that your body have a way to get rid of it.
The main organs in your respiratory system are your lungs. Your lungs are, in their simplest form, nothing more than sacs. As you breathe in, you fill these sacs with fresh oxygen-rich air. Your heart pumps blood into the walls of your lungs where it absorbs oxygen and releases carbon dioxide. As you exhale, or breathe out, you release the carbon dioxide-rich air into the space around you. With each breath you take, you are taking oxygen in, and putting carbon dioxide out.
From your lungs, blood returns back into your heart where it is pumped out to the rest of your body, carrying oxygen along with it.
Respiratory Differences:
Check out the diagrams and pictures provided.
Frogs are amphibians. Almost all of them have lungs, but lack the diaphragm muscles of humans. As humans, we use our diaphragm muscle to push and pull our lungs open and closed to help us breathe. Frogs inhale air through their nostrils, inflating skin sacs in their throats, then press down with the mouth muscles to force it into the lungs. If you've never seen a frog yawn, it's because they don't. They don't breathe through their mouths, only through their noses. We, on the other hand, have a choice of breathing through our noses or our mouths, or both. Frogs use muscles beneath their jaws to help move air, but their mouths stay closed while they breathe.
The major difference is the ability of frogs to breathe underwater through their skin, in a process called cutaneous respiration. Special blood vessels in the skin allow oxygen to be absorbed directly from the water and carbon dioxide to be released through the skin into the water too. Frogs can exchange oxygen for carbon dioxide through their skin, but it needs to be moist for the process to work correctly. That's why you typically see frogs near water or burrowed in damp soil.
The job of your respiratory system is very simple: To bring oxygen into your body, and remove the carbon dioxide from your body. Your body needs oxygen to survive.
Oxygen is used by your cells as it performs the functions of life. As your body uses oxygen, your cells produce another gas known as carbon dioxide. Too much carbon dioxide can be toxic, even deadly. For this reason, it is important that your body have a way to get rid of it.
The main organs in your respiratory system are your lungs. Your lungs are, in their simplest form, nothing more than sacs. As you breathe in, you fill these sacs with fresh oxygen-rich air. Your heart pumps blood into the walls of your lungs where it absorbs oxygen and releases carbon dioxide. As you exhale, or breathe out, you release the carbon dioxide-rich air into the space around you. With each breath you take, you are taking oxygen in, and putting carbon dioxide out.
From your lungs, blood returns back into your heart where it is pumped out to the rest of your body, carrying oxygen along with it.
Respiratory Differences:
Check out the diagrams and pictures provided.
Frogs are amphibians. Almost all of them have lungs, but lack the diaphragm muscles of humans. As humans, we use our diaphragm muscle to push and pull our lungs open and closed to help us breathe. Frogs inhale air through their nostrils, inflating skin sacs in their throats, then press down with the mouth muscles to force it into the lungs. If you've never seen a frog yawn, it's because they don't. They don't breathe through their mouths, only through their noses. We, on the other hand, have a choice of breathing through our noses or our mouths, or both. Frogs use muscles beneath their jaws to help move air, but their mouths stay closed while they breathe.
The major difference is the ability of frogs to breathe underwater through their skin, in a process called cutaneous respiration. Special blood vessels in the skin allow oxygen to be absorbed directly from the water and carbon dioxide to be released through the skin into the water too. Frogs can exchange oxygen for carbon dioxide through their skin, but it needs to be moist for the process to work correctly. That's why you typically see frogs near water or burrowed in damp soil.
Human and Frog Circulatory System
The circulatory system is composed of the heart and blood vessels, including arteries, veins, and capillaries. Our bodies actually have two circulatory systems: The pulmonary circulation is a short loop from the heart to the lungs and back again, and the systemic circulation (the system we usually think of as our circulatory system) sends blood from the heart to all the other parts of our bodies and back again.
The heart is the key organ in the circulatory system. As a hollow, muscular pump, its main function is to propel blood throughout the body. It usually beats from 60 to 100 times per minute, but can go much faster when necessary.
The heart gets messages from the body that tell it when to pump more or less blood depending on an individual's needs. When we're sleeping, it pumps just enough to provide for the lower amounts of oxygen needed by our bodies at rest. When we're exercising or frightened, the heart pumps faster to increase the delivery of oxygen.
Arteries carry blood away from the heart. Remember - "Arteries Away". They are the thickest blood vessels, with muscular walls that contract to keep the blood moving away from the heart and through the body.
Veins carry blood back to the heart. Remember - "VeIN IN" (see the word IN in vein?). They're not as muscular as arteries, but they contain valves that prevent blood from flowing backward.
A network of tiny capillaries connect the arteries and veins. Though tiny, the capillaries are one of the most important parts of the circulatory system because capillaries deliver nutrients and oxygen to the cells. In addition, waste products such as carbon dioxide are also removed by the capillaries.
Circulatory Differences:
Check out the diagrams and pictures provided.
The frog’s heart is smaller than humans. A frog only has a three-chambered heart, which mixes oxygen rich and poor blood together instead of keeping them separate. Their circulatory system isn't as effective at oxygen delivery as a humans four-chambered heart would be. It doesn’t need to be as effective since they can “breathe” through their skin as well, so there are less demands on the heart for oxygen delivery.
The circulatory system is composed of the heart and blood vessels, including arteries, veins, and capillaries. Our bodies actually have two circulatory systems: The pulmonary circulation is a short loop from the heart to the lungs and back again, and the systemic circulation (the system we usually think of as our circulatory system) sends blood from the heart to all the other parts of our bodies and back again.
The heart is the key organ in the circulatory system. As a hollow, muscular pump, its main function is to propel blood throughout the body. It usually beats from 60 to 100 times per minute, but can go much faster when necessary.
The heart gets messages from the body that tell it when to pump more or less blood depending on an individual's needs. When we're sleeping, it pumps just enough to provide for the lower amounts of oxygen needed by our bodies at rest. When we're exercising or frightened, the heart pumps faster to increase the delivery of oxygen.
Arteries carry blood away from the heart. Remember - "Arteries Away". They are the thickest blood vessels, with muscular walls that contract to keep the blood moving away from the heart and through the body.
Veins carry blood back to the heart. Remember - "VeIN IN" (see the word IN in vein?). They're not as muscular as arteries, but they contain valves that prevent blood from flowing backward.
A network of tiny capillaries connect the arteries and veins. Though tiny, the capillaries are one of the most important parts of the circulatory system because capillaries deliver nutrients and oxygen to the cells. In addition, waste products such as carbon dioxide are also removed by the capillaries.
Circulatory Differences:
Check out the diagrams and pictures provided.
The frog’s heart is smaller than humans. A frog only has a three-chambered heart, which mixes oxygen rich and poor blood together instead of keeping them separate. Their circulatory system isn't as effective at oxygen delivery as a humans four-chambered heart would be. It doesn’t need to be as effective since they can “breathe” through their skin as well, so there are less demands on the heart for oxygen delivery.
Human and Frog Muscular System
The muscular system in your body is composed of skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle and smooth muscle.
Skeletal muscle attaches primarily to your skeleton and moves voluntarily or by reflex.
Cardiac muscle is the muscle of your heart and contracts involuntarily.
Finally, smooth muscle is found in muscles you can't move voluntarily - your blood vessels, the pupil of your eyes, hair follicles(goosebumps) and the walls of hollow organs like your stomach and intestines.
The primary function of skeletal muscle is to produce movements. Large movements include walking, standing, gathering food, cooking food, turning in a chair, running, playing sports and lifting weights. Fine motor skills or smaller movements include chewing, closing your eyes, blinking, typing, writing and talking. Your skeletal muscles will also contract as a reflex to stimuli, like moving your hand from a very hot coffee cup or blinking your eyes when an eyelash lands on the surface of the eye.
Muscular Similarities/Differences:
Look at the diagram of the muscles of humans and frogs and compare by how they look as well as what muscle names are similar or the same.
Make observations on similarities and differences you notice.
What do you think frog’s are better at than humans… look at the muscles that help them with that…
The muscular system in your body is composed of skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle and smooth muscle.
Skeletal muscle attaches primarily to your skeleton and moves voluntarily or by reflex.
Cardiac muscle is the muscle of your heart and contracts involuntarily.
Finally, smooth muscle is found in muscles you can't move voluntarily - your blood vessels, the pupil of your eyes, hair follicles(goosebumps) and the walls of hollow organs like your stomach and intestines.
The primary function of skeletal muscle is to produce movements. Large movements include walking, standing, gathering food, cooking food, turning in a chair, running, playing sports and lifting weights. Fine motor skills or smaller movements include chewing, closing your eyes, blinking, typing, writing and talking. Your skeletal muscles will also contract as a reflex to stimuli, like moving your hand from a very hot coffee cup or blinking your eyes when an eyelash lands on the surface of the eye.
Muscular Similarities/Differences:
Look at the diagram of the muscles of humans and frogs and compare by how they look as well as what muscle names are similar or the same.
Make observations on similarities and differences you notice.
What do you think frog’s are better at than humans… look at the muscles that help them with that…
Human and Frog Nervous System
Since you're reading this page, we figure you've got a nervous system. If you were an insect you would also have a nervous system, but it would be a lot simpler. Even animals that don't think have simple nervous systems called nerve nets that help them move.
What Does This System Do?
The nervous system is about action and senses. Animals are able to sense what is going on in their surroundings and do something in reaction to that input. If turn to see a bike that might hit you, you jump out of the way. In that example, your nervous system was involved in many ways. Your ears sent messages to your brain on what you heard, eyes saw the bike, your brain figured out the bike might hit you, and your brain sent a signal through your nerves that told your muscles to make your legs jump out of the way. You sensed and then acted.
The nervous system controls the senses, movement, and blood flow of your body. The nervous system also senses activity inside your body. Most of the nervous system response inside of your body is not in your control. Your body automatically senses and reacts to stimulus. Think about eating your lunch. As you eat, your nervous system triggers the start of digestion and release of many hormones and enzymes throughout your body.
Nervous Similarities/Differences:
Look at the diagrams and see how the systems are laid out.
Make observations on similarities and differences you notice.
Find the brain and compare how they look.
Do you think their nervous system functions on the same level as ours? What would be different?
Since you're reading this page, we figure you've got a nervous system. If you were an insect you would also have a nervous system, but it would be a lot simpler. Even animals that don't think have simple nervous systems called nerve nets that help them move.
What Does This System Do?
The nervous system is about action and senses. Animals are able to sense what is going on in their surroundings and do something in reaction to that input. If turn to see a bike that might hit you, you jump out of the way. In that example, your nervous system was involved in many ways. Your ears sent messages to your brain on what you heard, eyes saw the bike, your brain figured out the bike might hit you, and your brain sent a signal through your nerves that told your muscles to make your legs jump out of the way. You sensed and then acted.
The nervous system controls the senses, movement, and blood flow of your body. The nervous system also senses activity inside your body. Most of the nervous system response inside of your body is not in your control. Your body automatically senses and reacts to stimulus. Think about eating your lunch. As you eat, your nervous system triggers the start of digestion and release of many hormones and enzymes throughout your body.
Nervous Similarities/Differences:
Look at the diagrams and see how the systems are laid out.
Make observations on similarities and differences you notice.
Find the brain and compare how they look.
Do you think their nervous system functions on the same level as ours? What would be different?
Human and Frog Skeletal System
When put together, the skeletal system provides the base framework to which all the other tissues and organs attach, giving shape to the human body. The human skeleton has two distinct features, including opposable thumbs and an upright(erect) structure, allowing you to walk on two legs. The skeleton provides support to the body and keeps your internal organs in their proper place. The skeletal bones are held together by ligaments. Tendons attach your muscles to the bones of your skeleton. The muscular and skeletal systems work together to carry out bodily movement, and together they are called the musculoskeletal system. When muscles contract, the skeleton moves.
Skeletal Similarities/Differences:
Check out the diagrams and pictures provided.
Make observations on similarities and differences you notice.
Even though frogs don't look much like people on the outside, their skeletons are similar to people's skeletons, especially when it comes to their limbs. Just like in a person's arms, in a frog's front legs are bones called the humerus, the radius and the ulna. However, a difference is that a frog's radius and ulna are fused into one bone. The same is true for a frog's legs -- the femur supports the upper leg just as in humans, and different again the bones of the lower leg, the tibia and fibula, are fused in a frog. A frog has two scapulae, or shoulder blades, and clavicles, or collarbones, that are shaped a lot like the same bones in a person's body.
A collection of small bones makes up a frog's digits, or its fingers and toes. Most of the time, a frog has five toes on its back legs and four toes on its front legs. The length and shape of the toes has a big impact on how the frog moves. Tree frogs have long, flexible toes that allow them to grasp stems and branches as they climb around. Aquatic frogs also have long toes -- the spaces between them are webbed so they can use their feet like flippers. Some frogs burrow into the soil in the summer or winter. Often, their feet are shorter and wider, like shovels or spades.
But a frog's skeleton isn't so similar to a human's once you get past the extremities. Frogs have skulls but don't have necks, so they can't turn, lift or lower their heads like people can. A frog also doesn't have ribs. The rib-like structures you can see in the picture above are part of its spine. A frog's pelvis(hip bones) can slide up and down its spine, which may help it jump. The vertebrae at the bottom end of the spine are fused into one bone called the urostyle much like our coccyx(tailbone) - the remains of their tadpole tail.
When put together, the skeletal system provides the base framework to which all the other tissues and organs attach, giving shape to the human body. The human skeleton has two distinct features, including opposable thumbs and an upright(erect) structure, allowing you to walk on two legs. The skeleton provides support to the body and keeps your internal organs in their proper place. The skeletal bones are held together by ligaments. Tendons attach your muscles to the bones of your skeleton. The muscular and skeletal systems work together to carry out bodily movement, and together they are called the musculoskeletal system. When muscles contract, the skeleton moves.
Skeletal Similarities/Differences:
Check out the diagrams and pictures provided.
Make observations on similarities and differences you notice.
Even though frogs don't look much like people on the outside, their skeletons are similar to people's skeletons, especially when it comes to their limbs. Just like in a person's arms, in a frog's front legs are bones called the humerus, the radius and the ulna. However, a difference is that a frog's radius and ulna are fused into one bone. The same is true for a frog's legs -- the femur supports the upper leg just as in humans, and different again the bones of the lower leg, the tibia and fibula, are fused in a frog. A frog has two scapulae, or shoulder blades, and clavicles, or collarbones, that are shaped a lot like the same bones in a person's body.
A collection of small bones makes up a frog's digits, or its fingers and toes. Most of the time, a frog has five toes on its back legs and four toes on its front legs. The length and shape of the toes has a big impact on how the frog moves. Tree frogs have long, flexible toes that allow them to grasp stems and branches as they climb around. Aquatic frogs also have long toes -- the spaces between them are webbed so they can use their feet like flippers. Some frogs burrow into the soil in the summer or winter. Often, their feet are shorter and wider, like shovels or spades.
But a frog's skeleton isn't so similar to a human's once you get past the extremities. Frogs have skulls but don't have necks, so they can't turn, lift or lower their heads like people can. A frog also doesn't have ribs. The rib-like structures you can see in the picture above are part of its spine. A frog's pelvis(hip bones) can slide up and down its spine, which may help it jump. The vertebrae at the bottom end of the spine are fused into one bone called the urostyle much like our coccyx(tailbone) - the remains of their tadpole tail.