Based on Slides 9-10, how do special blood vessels in frog skin facilitate their unique respiratory process, and what might happen if their skin dries out?

Question

a
The blood vessels are essential for diaphragm muscle function; if their skin dries out, their diaphragm would fail.
b
The blood vessels enable direct oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide release through the skin; if their skin dries out, cutaneous respiration would be impaired, affecting their oxygen intake.
c
The blood vessels in frog skin allow them to yawn more effectively; if their skin dries out, they would yawn less.

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

b. The blood vessels enable direct oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide release through the skin; if their skin dries out, cutaneous respiration would be impaired, affecting their oxygen intake.

Frogs primarily rely on cutaneous respiration (breathing through their skin) in addition to using their lungs. The special blood vessels in their skin facilitate this unique respiratory process by allowing for efficient gas exchange directly with the environment. If the skin dries out, the ability to absorb oxygen and release carbon dioxide through the skin would be severely compromised, which could lead to respiratory distress or failure.