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Rana Sylvata Research Paper

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The Rana sylvatica, or wood frog, portrays itself in an unassuming manner. However, the Rana sylvatica undergoes a fascinating physiological response when exposed to extreme cold. For exemplification, the Rana sylvatica spends the entire winter in an unconscious state. Superficially, this is commonplace in the animal kingdom. Many animals, including bears, spend the winter in a deep slumber, which is made possible due to large amounts of insulating adipose tissue. The Rana sylvatica, however, does not try to insulate itself from the winter environment. Instead, it becomes frozen. This is fascinating because tissue does not normally survive frozen environments. Cells are full of water. When water freezes, it forms jagged crystals. These crystals, obviously, will puncture the cells and injure a body. This is why we cannot survive a deep, frozen sleep. Despite this, the Rana sylvatica does something fascinating. When it senses cold, the Rana sylvatica moves the water out of its cells and into the abdominal cavity. Furthermore, the Rana sylvatica moves glucose from its liver and into the bloodstream. This allows the freezing temperature to drop significantly. This is because the sugar literally "blocks" ice crystals from forming. All together, the …show more content…

Diabetes is a disease in which the body accumulates too much blood sugar. Insulin helps the body use glucose, but in those with diabetes, this process is hindered. Furthermore, diabetics typically have to regulate their osmotic balance more than those without diabetes. This sounds awfully similar to the situation of the Rana sylvatica--raising blood sugar levels and releasing more water from the bloodstream. As explained above, raising blood sugar levels prevents ice from forming by lowering the freezing temperature. Furthermore, the removal of water prevents more ice from

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