The Respiratory System

The respiratory system is concerned with respiration or breathing in which exchanging respiratory
gaseous (O2 and CO2) between respiratory surface and it environment. Or the process of gaseous exchange
(O2 and CO2), i.e. intake of oxygen and liberation of carbon-dioxide and utilization of oxygen to breakdown
food to release energy is called respiration. The energy is released during the process of respiration.

O2 Diffuses into Hb= HbO2

C6H12O6 + 6O2---------------------------- 6CO2 + 6H2O + energy

Types of respiration:

Aerobic and Anaerobic respiration

a. External Respiration (Breathing respiration)

b. Internal Respiration (Tissue respiration)

There are four types of respiration in Amphibian (tadpole and adult):

1. Gill respiration: - The tadpole of frog inhabits in water and they respire through gills. They have
four pairs of open gill clefts on either side of the head laterally. The gills are richly supplied with
blood capillaries contains respiratory pigment ie haemoglobin (Hb).

2. Cutaneous respiration: - The respiration through skin is

called cutaneous respiration. Skin During hibernation
and aestivation the frog totally depends on cutaneous
respiration. The skin of frog is thin and is richly supplied
with blood capillaries with Hb. Due the presence of
mucous gland, the skin of frog always remains moist.
During this process, Dissolved oxygen diffuse into the
blood capillaries. Where oxygen combined with Hb. The
Oxy-haemoglobin is transported into the tissue. Where
HbO2 breakdown into Hb and O2. Oxygen now oxidized
digested food in order to release Co2, H2O and energy.
At the same time the carbon dioxide diffuses out from
the blood into the environment.
3. Bucco- pharyngeal respiration: - The respiration through bucco-
pharyngeal cavity is called bucco- pharyngeal respiration. Bucco-
pharyngeal cavity is lined with mucous gland and blood
capillaries. The air enters the cavity through nostril and gaseous
exchange takes place through the lining of buccal cavity and
blood which is accomplished by the rhythmic up and down
movements of sternohyal muscles and petrohyal muscles of
buccal cavity. When the sternohyal muscles contract the floor of
mouth cavity is lowered and air is drawn into the buccal cavity
through nostril. Whereas during contraction of petrohyal
muscles the mouth cavity is pulled upward and air is expelled out
through the nostril. The gaseous exchange takes place in the
buccal cavity by diffusion process. The O2 dissolved in mucous membrane and DO diffused into
blood capillaries where it combined with haemoglobin forming HbO2. HbO2 transported into
tissue through blood vessels. In the tissue HbO2 quickly dissociated into Hb and O2. O2 oxidized
digested food in order to release CO2, H2O and Energy. At the same time CO2 diffused into blood
capillaries from where it carried to the lining of the buccal cavity.

Mechanism of bucco-pharyngeal respiration

i. Bucco-pharynx or buccal cavity

ii. Contraction of sternohyal muscles
iii. Lowering of floor of the cavity
iv. Area of buccal cavity increases
v. Air comes inside the buccal cavity through external nares
vi. Gas exchange occurs
vii. Petrohyal muscles contracts
viii. Raising of floor of buccal cavity
ix. Area of buccal cavity decreases
x. Pressure of air contained increases
xi. Air goes out through external nares.

4. Pulmonary respiration: - The respiration through lungs is called pulmonary respiration.

Pulmonary respiration occurs when frog needs more oxygen due leaping and active. It includes
following parts.
a. External nares – the nares are a pair of small oval opening aperture situated at the tip of the
snout. It opens into the bucco- pharyngeal cavity through internal nares. It is located in front of
vomerine teeth in the vomer
bone.
b. Bucco- pharyngeal cavity – it
is a wide cavity bounded by
upper immovable and lower
movable jaws. Buccal cavity
posteriorly leads into laryngo-
tracheal chamber through
glottis. The buccal cavity has
no take part in gaseous
exchanged it supply only
gaseous hence it is called
conducting organs.

c. Laryngo- tracheal chamber – in frog trachea is short

because of absence of neck. The laryngo-tracheal chamber
is situated in the middle part of hyoid arches. It is
supported by arytenoid and cricoid cartilages. Two elastic
band, vocal cords are present in the chamber. The sound is
produced by contraction of vocal cords during expulsion of
air from lungs. It is well developed in male. It is resonators
in male frog. It opens into the lungs.
d. Lungs – lungs are main organs of respiration hence it is
called essential organs. Lungs are a pair of small oval pink
colour thin wall hollow spongy organs. It is situated on
either side of the heart at the level of forelimbs.
Histologically it is divided by series of ciliated epithelium
septa into large number of small air sacs called Alveoli. The
Alveoli is richly supplied with blood capillaries with Hb so
that it is main surface area for pulmonary respiration.
Mechanism of pulmonary respiration

During pulmonary respiration the mouth of the frog remains closed. The inspiration and expiration of
the air is done by the action of the buccal cavity.

Inspiration: The process of intake of air is called inspiration. The mouth remains closed. The sternohyals
contract and the floor of buccal cavity is lowered. Due to which the space in cavity is increased and air
pressure is decreased. Therefore, air is taken into cavity through external nares. Then, the nares remain
closed which decrease the space in cavity and pressure is increased. By this mechanism the air passed
into lungs. In lungs, alveoli are filled with air and gaseous exchange takes place between blood and
alveoli by diffusion.
i. Steps occur during inspiration are

ii. Contraction of sternohyal muscles

iii. Increase volume of buccopharyngeal cavity

iv. Decrease pressure of air inside buccal cavity

v. Air rushes into the cavity through external nares

vi. Contraction of submental muscles pushes the mento-mechkelian

bones of lower jaw forward and then pushes the premaxillae
upward. This closes the external nares.

vii. Contraction of petrohyal muscles

viii. Decrease volume of bucco-pharyngeal cavity

 ix. Area decreases and pressure of air increases. This closes the gullet since there is no other outlet
for air to escape

x. Glottis open

xi. Air rushes into the lungs and then into alveoli (gaseous exchange occur between blood and
alveoli by diffusion)

Expiration: The process of exhaling of CO2 is called expiration. It is the reverse process of inspiration.
The external nares remain closed. The floor of the cavity is lowered and the air is drawn into the cavity
from the lungs. Finally, the glottis is closed and premaxillae comeback into their original position due to
which external nares open and the cavity raises and then the air is passed out through the external
nares.
i. Steps that occur during expiration are given below

ii. Contraction of lungs and abdominal muscles

iii. Decrease in volume of lungs

iv. Pressure increases in lungs

v. Air rushes from lungs into the cavity through glottis

vi. Relaxation of submental muscles

vii. Premaxillae come back to its original position

viii. External nares open

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