Organism Physiology - Essay Example

?Organism Physiology of the Organism The of the organism, which I am going to discuss in this paper, is ‘Frog’. Frog is an amphibian, whichhas its presence on the earth for millions of years. In this paper, we will talk about its main organs and will discuss how it has evolved physiologically to suit its external environment. Frog and Its Environment Researchers have done a lot of research on the physiology of frog. Some of the main organs of a frog studied extensively by the researchers include head, trunk, belly, webbed foot, hind leg, front leg, tongue, eye, nostril, and tympanum. Let us get an overview of some of the main organs of a frog in order to get an understanding of the roles that these organs play in making a frog adapted to its environment. Retrieved from http://www.infovisual.info/02/026_en.html Physiology of Frog Retrieved from http://www.biology-online.org/biology-forum/about14315.html Head Head is the uppermost part of a frog. The organs present in this portion include nostrils, mouth, eye, and tympanum. The internal structure of this portion includes vomerine teeth, maxillary teeth, internal nostrils, Eustachian tube, glottis, esophagus, and tongue. Trunk The trunk is the central part of a frog. Some organs attached with this part include head and limbs. Rear leg Rear legs of a frog help it take short and long jumps. Each of the rear legs has five toes. Rear legs are made in such a way that they act like springs for a frog and help it jump. Frogs have webbed feet, which help them swim in water (Drummond & Tom, 2011). Front leg Front legs of a frog are shorter in length. They help a frog leap forward and save the body from touching earth after jumping. Tongue “A frog's tongue is fastened in the front, not the back and is folded backward to the throat” (Thomas, 2007). The length of the tongue is nearly one-third of the frog’s overall length. There is a sticky material present on the tongue of a frog which attached the food to the tongue which is eventually swallowed by the frog. “It takes less than a second for a frog's tongue to roll out, adhere to prey, and roll back into the frog's mouth” (Anonymous, 1999). Frog lives in water as well outside. The amount of time that frogs spend in the water varies a great deal from frog to frog. Some frogs live in water most of the time whereas some live outside. They are carnivores and eat worms, spiders, fish, snails, and other small insects. They live in such environments where they can easily get their prey. They have good eyesight and a sticky tongue which help them get their prey easily. Frog’s eyes also help it take its prey into its belly. “Frogs' eyes have a surprising auxiliary function: they help in swallowing” (Anonymous, 1999). If we talk about the skin of a frog, we can say that the skin plays a vital role in the survival of a frog. The skin helps a frog breathe and drink. It is a fact that frogs cannot drink water. Therefore, their skin helps the take required moisture inside. The skin also helps frogs take oxygen in the body. Frogs need extra oxygen which their lungs are not able to take. Therefore, the skin of a frog helps it take required amount of extra oxygen that is needed for respiration. A frog also eats its skin once a week. It is a fact that frogs shed their skin once a week while blending, twisting, and stretching. They eat their old skin once they pull it off. Frogs need both soil and water for survival. They do not lay their eggs in soil. The reason is that their eggs do not have any kind of protective shell which can save them properly. Therefore, they lay their eggs in water because water protects their eggs from drying up. Frogs need a pollution free environment to survive. Although they can live in mud but the condition is that the mud should be free of harmful contaminants. Pollutants, such as, pesticides and insect killer sprays are very harmful for their survival because they contaminate the water in which frogs live. “Declines in amphibian numbers and increases in deformed bodies have led scientists to investigate the role of habitat loss, increased ultraviolet radiation (due to ozone depletion), and chemical pollution in these important changes” (Walton, 2001). Frogs also lie in the category of amphibians. They live in waters and also lay their eggs in water. If the water is polluted with harmful pollutants, the growth of frogs becomes impossible. Discussion Questions Answer No: 1 All organisms present in the world have developed themselves physiologically as well as anatomically to adapt to their specific environments. Being humans we have evolved ourselves to live in any kind of external environment but with certain conditions. Our anatomy also helps us perform different activities of life easily. For example, we use our hands to write, to pick things, and to perform other activities. Similarly, we use our feet to walk long distances. Answer No: 2 The first organ which reacted to the danger was my eyes. The eyes sent a signal to my brain regarding the danger. The brain sent signal to my hands to escape my face from the side which was in front of the car. On the very next moment, the brain sent the signal to my legs to run away from the scene. Upon getting those signals, I first tried to cover my face and then ran immediately to escape from the accident. Answer No: 3 A person should be allowed to sell a kidney only if he/she has no other way to earn money to meet an urgent need. A person can live a normal life with a single kidney. “The people born with one kidney and those who donate a kidney for transplantation can also lead a normal healthy life” (Anonymous, 2007). However, he/she needs to take care of the kidney more than the people with both kidneys do. Answer No: 4 The name of the disease is ‘Autoimmune Hepatitis’. “Untreated autoimmune hepatitis can lead to scarring of the liver (cirrhosis) and eventually to liver failure” (Mayo Clinic, 2010). Some common symptoms of autoimmune hepatitis include yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes, nausea and vomiting, and abdominal pain (Simmons, 2010). My grandfather had this disease. He used to feel abdominal discomfort, fatigue, and severe joint pain. References Anonymous. (2007). Can You Survive with Only One Kidney?. Retrieved from http://www.tarunaoils.com/articles/survive-one-kidney.asp Anonymous. (1999). The Amazing, Adaptable frog. Retrieved from http://www.exploratorium.edu/frogs/mainstory/frogstory2.html Drummond, G. & Tom, B. (2011). How can we tell if frogs jump further?. Experimental physiology, 96(8), 711-715. Mayo Clinic Staff. (2010). Autoimmune hepatitis. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/autoimmune-hepatitis/DS00676 Simmons, G. (2010). Autoimmune Hepatitis - All You Need To Know and Exciting News. Retrieved from http://ezinearticles.com/?Autoimmune-Hepatitis---All-You-Need-To-Know-and-Exciting-News&id=5066252 Thomas, L. (2007). The Anatomy of a Frog’s Tongue. Retrieved from http://www.helium.com/items/371988-the-anatomy-of-a-frogs-tongue Walten, R. (2001). Fermilab Frog FAQs. Retrieved from http://ed.fnal.gov/projects/frogs/froggiesfaq.html Read More