The Frog Dissection Manual - Page 1

The dissection begins with an anesthetized frog. First weigh the frog and measure its length from snout to vent.

Decapitate the frog with scissors and pith the spinal cord with a pithing needle. The frog will twitch. Pithing greatly reduces the incidence and intensity of muscle contractions during dissection, thus simplifying the dissection.

Tips

• As you hold the frog's head squeeze it with your thumb and index finger to open the mouth for easier insertion of the scissors into the mouth.

• Hold the frog firmly against the tray with your palm as it may twitch while you are decapitating it.