BIOLOGY 3 Marks Question

Frog is a cold blooded vertebrate. Its body temperature keeps increasing or decreasing according to the environment. Its temperature becomes very low during winter and high during summer and is not able to remain active. The conditions of this type of inactivity in life are called 'winter sleep or hibernation' and 'summer sleep or aestivation' respectively. Before the frog enters these stages, its body stores a large amount of food, glycogen and fats.
Hibernation: As soon as the winter season starts (by the end of October), frogs start going down into the moist ground in their habitat. The frog lies 40-60 cm underground. It easily makes its living space at a depth and at this time the body temperature decreases and all activities slow down. The frog remains in this dormant state for a long time. Meanwhile the metabolic activities of the frog reduce considerably. He survives on very little food and oxygen. The body continues to get energy from previously stored glycogen and fat. The skin mainly helps in the process of respiration. This type of dormancy lasts until the end of winter. As the temperature of the environment increases, the frogs again come out of the ground and start a fully active life again.