Which process describes the transformation from tadpole to adult frog?

Which process describes the transformation from tadpole to adult frog?

• A. Meiosis
• B. Fertilization
• C. Frog metamorphosis
• D. Mitosis

Answer: (C)

Metamorphosis is the developmental transformation that changes a tadpole into an adult frog. In frogs, this process is driven largely by thyroid hormones and involves dramatic remodeling: the tail is resorbed, hind limbs and then forelimbs develop, gills are lost and lungs form, and the mouth and digestive tract shift to suit a carnivorous adult life. This is a reorganization of tissues and organs, not just cell division, yielding a body capable of life on land and jumping. By comparison, meiosis makes gametes, fertilization combines those gametes to form a zygote, and mitosis is standard cell division used for growth and tissue maintenance without such a complete transformation.

Metamorphosis is the developmental transformation that changes a tadpole into an adult frog. In frogs, this process is driven largely by thyroid hormones and involves dramatic remodeling: the tail is resorbed, hind limbs and then forelimbs develop, gills are lost and lungs form, and the mouth and digestive tract shift to suit a carnivorous adult life. This is a reorganization of tissues and organs, not just cell division, yielding a body capable of life on land and jumping. By comparison, meiosis makes gametes, fertilization combines those gametes to form a zygote, and mitosis is standard cell division used for growth and tissue maintenance without such a complete transformation.