RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The basic unit for behavior is the reflex. Reflexes generally occur quickly and are the result of
excitation of sensory receptors, nerve fibers, integration by the Central Nervous System,
transmission of motor impulses and excitation of an effector organ or tissue.
A. Motor Activity
Through the course of the experiment, reflex action is verified via the use of normal,
spinal and decerebrate and double-pithed toads. In normal toad, the brain and spinal cord are still
intact. In single-pithed toads, all connections between the brain and the spinal cord all
connections are broken, therefore it eliminates any influence the brain could have on reflex
activities. While, the decerebrated toad refers to the removal of the brain which affects functions
or reflexes controlled by it. Lastly, in a double-pithed toad all control by the central nervous
system are eliminated including the brain and spinal cord. Several actions are tested to compare
the differences in the reflex of toad in the four states such as the posture reflex, locomotion,
righting reflex, swimming reflex, pain response and scratch reaction.
With the normal toad, as seen below in Table 1, it blinks as the eyelids were touched and
croaks as response to posture reflex with a respiration rate of 210/minute, at this state the nostrils
were observed to be used during respiration; it reacts with dilute acetic acid as response to
scratch reflex within five seconds; other leg flexed as the remaining leg is pinched for
withdrawal reflex; it also jumped more frequently with a continuous and coordinated jumping
movements. As it was placed on its dorsal side, it makes a righting movement immediately for
two seconds {fast righting reflex) and swims immediately with a well-coordinated swimming

movements. As the normal toad was hanged, both legs flexed and extended as they reacted to
pain immediately after pinching.
In the spinal state, where single pith was done, the toad remained motionless and lost
muscle tone; however the respiration rate lowered to 50/min. This can be explained as the toad
was kept moist when tested in swimming reflex for they breathe primarily through the skin, not
the lungs. Without the brain, perception of any sensory phenomena is impossible. This explained
the reason why when the eyelid was touched, the toad did not blink. It also jumped four times
but was not continuous. It did not respond to the righting reflex but the swimming reflex was
observed but slower compared to the normal state. A spinal toad cannot perceive pain. After a
recovery period however it will be able to resume its ability to carry on spinal reflex activity.
The toad may crouch, jump, scratch or even make noise, but it is not in pain. These actions are
neural reflexes controlled via motor senses in the spinal cord, not brain functions.
While at the decerebrated state, where the brain is removed, the toad does not blink but
does have a slight croak; does not react upon exposure to acetic acid; does still flex other leg
as the remaining leg is pinched; does make a slow righting movement and does still swim. Thus,
it still have the ability to respond to external stimuli. In decerebrated toad, brain stem is
transected at the middle to lower mesencephalic level, which blocks normal inhibitory signals
from the higher control centers of the brain to the pontile and vestibular muscle control nuclei
resulting to involuntary extension of extremities in response to external stimuli. The result is that
the spinal cord motor reflexes become very excitable and, therefore, easy to activate by even the
slightest sensory input signals to the cord. (Wilson, 1979).

In double-pithed toads, the spinal cord is severed including the brain. Still, it managed to
have a respiration rate of 23/min but the breathing may be through the skin or called cutaneous
respiration. At this state the legs of the toad become completely limp due to flaccid paralysis of
skeletal muscle. The frog will never assume a crouching position again, and if pinch the frog will
not respond after the spinal cord is severed, the frog will not feel anything and there will not be a
reflex withdrawal along with the other reflexes. In other words, spinal severing makes work
easier because the muscle no longer reflexes.
Scratch reflex
Another is the scratch reflex of the toad in which dilute acetic acid is introduced. As itchiness
occurs, it proceeds with scratch reflex as to relieve cutaneous irritation. This is a form of defense
mechanism when parasites or irritants are present. Pain receptors are activated as acid is applied
onto the skin. In addition to this, acid is permeable to the toad skin that allows easy access of the
acid to the toad's internal system resulting to a greater effect of the acid on the toad.
afferentfibers of the
seudounipolar spinal ganglion
cells

Nerve
endings
on the
surface
of the
skin

somatic motor
neurons

Cerebellu
m

Muscle
s

Fig.1. Motor pathway of Scrath reflex.

Withdrawal reflex
Upon induction of stimuli either painful or harmful, there will be a counteracting flex
movement of a specific part of a body called withdrawal reflex (Wilson, 1979). Pinching is a
type of cutaneous stimulation and its natural response is to withdraw that part of the body that is
stimulated. Upon pinching, the pain receptors made up of nerve endings in the skin transmit
signal to the cerebellum which controls motor function thus, causing a flex to the muscle affected
by the stimulus. So, withdrawal reflex is executed by pinching off the legs or toes of either side
of the toad. In normal toad, when left leg is pinched, right leg will flex followed by the left leg.
Theoretically, as expected, decerebrated toad responses as what normal toad does; but not in the
case of pithed toads. Besides, what is responsible for the pain is the spinal cord.

pontine nuclei
and the
inferior olive
temperatur
e and pain
receptor in
the skin

dentate nucleus
to the red
nucleus and the
ventrolateral
nucleus

Cerebellu
m

Muscle
(usually
the
flexors)

Fig.2. Motor pathway of Withdrawal reflex.

Righting reflex
Recovery to its normal position after orienting from different position of the body is called
righting reflex. In normal toad, there is righting movement due to functional brain and spinal
cord observed while in decerebrated toad; a slow righting movement is observed. However, on
the pithed toads, righting movements were not observed. Righting reflex is a mobilizing response
which requires a coordinated sensory input and motor output to be able to materialize. If the
somatic motor neurons are no longer transmitted to the sensory receptor organs, no action
potential will travel to the medulla oblongata and, hence, will not reach the effector organ which
is the muscles in the limbs.

CN VIII
(Cochlear
branch of the
Vestibulocochle
ar nerve)

somatic
motor
neurons

sensory
Medulla
receptors
oblong
on the
organs
ata
that
perceive
body
Fig.3.
Motor pathway of righting reflex.
orientation

Muscles
(specific
ally of
the
limbs)

Swimming reflex
Swimming reflex is the coordinated movement of the limbs to sustain its body afloat the water
and to gain movement. The normal toad was observed to immediately swim when it was placed
in the water because its brain and spinal cord are intact, and, thus, function the way they should
be in order to maintain equilibrium. In the case of single-pithed toad it still swims but
accompanied with the movement was not well-coordinated. While decerebrated and doublepithed toads still swim, but it should not swim since complete removal of the brain which
contained the nuclei necessary for the processing of any sensory information from the receptors
is taken.

somatic
motor
neurons

CN VIII
(vestibulocochl
ear nerve)
+

Ear
labyrint
h

Cerebellu
m

muscles
(specifical
ly of the
hind
limbs)

Wilson, J. A. (1979). Principles of Animal Physiology. 2 nd ed. Collier Macmillan

International Editions: New York.