Curious about the amphibian heart and its unique design? Our free Amphibian Heart Quiz: How Many Chambers Can You Name? puts your knowledge to the test, challenging you to recall how many heart chambers does an amphibian have and explore why these creatures differ from mammals. You'll dive into questions like how many chambers does the heart of an amphibian have, test your skills on how many chambers does the amphibian heart have, and even confirm how many chambers does a amphibian heart have in each stage of development. Warm up with some heart anatomy games or revisit the parts of the heart quiz , then prove you know the amphibian heart inside and out. Ready to jump in? Take the quiz now!
How many chambers does a typical adult amphibian heart have?
Two
Four
Three
Five
Adult amphibians possess a three-chambered heart consisting of two atria and one ventricle. This arrangement allows for some mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood before it is pumped to the body. Although not as efficient as the four-chambered hearts of birds and mammals, it meets the metabolic needs of ectothermic amphibians. For more details see Amphibian Circulation.
Which chamber of the amphibian heart receives oxygenated blood from the lungs and skin?
Left atrium
Right atrium
Sinus venosus
Ventricle
In amphibians, oxygen-rich blood returns via pulmonary veins to the left atrium. The right atrium receives deoxygenated blood. Both atria empty into a single ventricle allowing mixing. For reference see Heart Structure.
Where does mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood primarily occur in an amphibian heart?
Left atrium
Sinus venosus
Conus arteriosus
Ventricle
The single ventricle in amphibians lacks a partition, so it is the primary site where oxygenated and deoxygenated blood mix. This mixing leads to moderately oxygenated blood being pumped out to both pulmonary and systemic circuits. The conus arteriosus helps direct this mixed blood but doesn't prevent mixing itself. See Amphibian Circulation.
At which life stage do amphibians develop the fully formed three-chambered heart typical of adults?
Juvenile
Tadpole
Egg
Metamorphosis
During amphibian metamorphosis, extensive cardiovascular remodeling transforms the larval two-chambered-like heart into the adult three-chambered structure. Before metamorphosis, tadpoles rely on gills and have simpler circulation. The development of lungs at metamorphosis drives the change in heart architecture. More information: Amphibian Development.
What type of circulatory system do amphibians possess?
Double circulation
Open circulation
Single circulation
Closed circulation
Amphibians have a closed circulatory system with double circulation, meaning blood passes through the heart twice during a single circuit: once to the lungs/skin and once to the body. This arrangement enhances gas exchange efficiency compared to single circulation in fishes. The incomplete septation means there is some mixing in the ventricle. Details: Circulatory System.
Which group of animals is characterized by having a three-chambered heart similar to frogs and salamanders?
Reptiles
Mammals
Amphibians
Birds
The class Amphibia, which includes frogs, salamanders, and caecilians, universally features a three-chambered heart with two atria and one ventricle. Mammals and birds have four-chambered hearts, while most reptiles also have three chambers but a partially divided ventricle. More on this: Amphibian Circulation.
In adult amphibians, which organ works alongside the heart to facilitate oxygen exchange?
Liver
Spleen
Lungs
Kidneys
Adult amphibians breathe through a combination of lungs and cutaneous (skin) respiration, with the heart pumping blood to both respiratory surfaces. The lungs are primary for gas exchange above water, while skin respiration aids oxygen uptake. Kidneys, liver, and spleen are not involved in gas exchange. See Amphibian Respiration.
What muscular structure in the amphibian heart helps direct blood flow into the pulmonary and systemic circuits?
Sinus venosus
Conus arteriosus
Trabeculae
Septum
The conus arteriosus contains a spiral valve that directs oxygen-rich blood toward systemic arches and oxygen-poor blood toward pulmonary arches. Its flexible muscular walls guide the mixed ventricular output into appropriate vessels. Septa are absent in the single ventricle of amphibians. Further reading: Conus Arteriosus.
Which valve in the amphibian heart prevents backflow of blood from the ventricle into the atria?
Tricuspid valve
Semilunar valve
Atrioventricular valve
Pulmonary valve
The atrioventricular (AV) valve, located between the atria and ventricle, prevents backflow into the atrial chambers during ventricular contraction. Semilunar valves regulate flow at the arterial entrances. In amphibians, the AV valve is crucial for maintaining forward blood flow. More: Atrioventricular Valve.
The sinus venosus in an amphibian heart collects blood from which source?
Brain
Body veins
Skin
Lungs
The sinus venosus is a thin-walled chamber that collects deoxygenated blood from the systemic veins (body veins) before it enters the right atrium. It serves as the pacemaker region in many amphibians. Oxygenated blood from lungs bypasses the sinus venosus and enters the left atrium. See Sinus Venosus.
During the larval stage (tadpole), amphibian circulation primarily transports blood to which organ?
Liver
Lungs
Skin
Gills
Tadpoles respire through external gills, so the heart primarily pumps blood to the gills for oxygen exchange. Lungs and skin respiration develop later during metamorphosis. The liver has metabolic but not respiratory functions. Learn more: Tadpole.
In amphibians, mixed blood exits the heart through which major vessel?
Dorsal aorta
Pulmonary artery
Vena cava
Sinus venosus
After mixing in the ventricle, blood is directed into the conus arteriosus and then into the dorsal aorta for systemic distribution, while the pulmonary (pulmocutaneous) arteries branch off toward respiratory surfaces. The dorsal aorta carries mixed blood to body tissues. More details: Amphibian Circulation.
Which nerve provides parasympathetic regulation to the amphibian heart, slowing its rate?
Phrenic nerve
Sciatic nerve
Cardiac sympathetic nerve
Vagus nerve
The vagus nerve (cranial nerve X) carries parasympathetic fibers that innervate the amphibian heart, reducing heart rate and force of contraction. Sympathetic controls increase rate via different pathways. The phrenic and sciatic nerves do not innervate the heart. For more, see Vagus Nerve.
Which chamber of the amphibian heart generates the highest pressure during systole?
Right atrium
Left atrium
Ventricle
Sinus venosus
The single ventricle produces the highest pressure to drive blood through both pulmonary/skin and systemic circuits during systole. Atria and the sinus venosus exhibit much lower pressures. Despite mixing, the ventricle can generate sufficient force for circulation. Reference: Heart Function.
What anatomical feature allows some separation of blood streams in the amphibian ventricle despite lack of a septum?
Endocardial cushions
Papillary muscles
Trabeculae
Spiral valve
Although amphibian ventricles lack a septum, a network of muscular ridges called trabeculae helps direct oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood into separate streams, minimizing mixing. These structures work in conjunction with the spiral valve to direct flow. Papillary muscles and endocardial cushions serve different functions in valve operation. Learn more: Ventricular Trabeculae.
How do amphibians adjust the distribution of blood between pulmonary and systemic circuits?
Altering lung volume
Shivering
Changing heart rate
Vasomotor constriction
Amphibians regulate blood flow distribution by constricting or dilating blood vessels (vasomotor response), especially in the pulmonary and systemic circuits, to adjust for environmental and metabolic needs. This modulation, alongside the spiral valve, controls shunting. Heart rate and lung volume changes are secondary. For more information: Amphibian Circulation Regulation.
The spiral valve is located in which part of the amphibian heart?
Conus arteriosus
Ventricle
Right atrium
Sinus venosus
The spiral valve resides within the conus arteriosus, guiding blood toward either pulmonary or systemic arches. It ensures relatively separate flow paths in an otherwise three-chambered heart. This anatomical feature is key to amphibian double circulation. Reference: Conus Arteriosus.
Neotenic amphibians like the axolotl retain which larval feature affecting their circulatory physiology?
Cutaneous scales
External gills
Cloacal respiration
External lungs
Axolotls and other neotenic salamanders maintain external gills throughout life, so their hearts and circulatory systems remain adapted for both gill and cutaneous respiration. They do not develop functional lungs as terrestrial adults do. This affects shunting and blood oxygenation. More at Axolotl.
In amphibian embryology, which branchial arch gives rise to the pulmonary arteries?
First arch
Sixth arch
Second arch
Fourth arch
The sixth pharyngeal (branchial) arch in amphibian embryos develops into the pulmonary (and cutaneous) arteries that carry deoxygenated blood to respiratory surfaces. Other arches contribute to systemic vessels or disappear. See Pharyngeal Arch Development.
What term describes the flow of blood from the right side of the heart to the systemic circulation, bypassing respiratory surfaces in amphibians?
Recirculation
Left-to-right shunt
Right-to-left shunt
Countercurrent exchange
A right-to-left shunt occurs when deoxygenated blood is diverted from the pulmonary or cutaneous circuit directly into systemic circulation, often under hypoxic conditions. Amphibians can use shunts to regulate oxygen delivery. Left-to-right shunts move blood in the opposite direction. More details: Cardiac Shunts.
Amphibian myocardial cells share structural similarities with which group of vertebrates?
Mammals
Fish
Reptiles
Birds
Amphibian cardiac muscle retains primitive traits similar to fish, such as a trabeculated ventricle and a sinus venosus pacemaker, reflecting their evolutionary position. Mammals and birds have more derived four-chambered hearts. Reptiles occupy an intermediate position. See Vertebrate Heart Evolution.
What is a typical resting heart rate range for adult frogs in beats per minute (bpm)?
150-180
5-10
30-50
100-120
Adult frogs often exhibit resting heart rates around 30 - 50 bpm, varying with species and environmental temperature. Lower rates correspond with ectothermy and metabolic demands. Rates above 100 bpm occur during activity or stress. For data, see Frog Cardiac Physiology.
Which transcription factor is crucial for septum formation in the developing amphibian heart?
NKX2-5
GATA4
TBX5
MEF2C
TBX5 regulates the development of septal structures in vertebrate hearts, including amphibians, guiding proper chamber separation and alignment. Mutations in TBX5 can cause cardiac septation defects. NKX2-5, GATA4, and MEF2C play roles in broader cardiac development but not specifically septation. See TBX5 in Heart Development.
The Devonian fossil Eusthenopteron is often cited as showing early signs of what cardiac adaptation?
Partial ventricular septation
Four-chambered heart
Single circulation only
Valveless arteries
The lobe-finned fish Eusthenopteron exhibits skeletal features interpreted as precursors to a ventricular septum, suggesting early partial separation of blood streams before full lung evolution. This transitional form informs heart evolution toward terrestrial vertebrates. For more info: Eusthenopteron Study.
Which extinct sarcopterygian fish provides insight into the evolution of double circulation, acting as a morphological intermediate?
Dunkleosteus
Tiktaalik
Ichthyostega
Coelacanth
Tiktaalik, a Late Devonian sarcopterygian, possesses limb and circulatory adaptations suggesting a shift toward mixed pulmonary-systemic circulation, a step toward true double circulation seen in amphibians. Coelacanths retained fish-like circulation. Ichthyostega is a tetrapod, while Dunkleosteus was a placoderm. Learn more: Tiktaalik Research.
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Study Outcomes
Identify Heart Chambers -
Recognize how many chambers an amphibian heart has and name each chamber, solidifying your grasp of amphibian heart anatomy.
Describe Chamber Functions -
Explain the role of each chamber in oxygenating blood and distributing it throughout an amphibian's body.
Compare Heart Structures -
Contrast the amphibian heart's three-chamber design with the two-chamber and four-chamber hearts of fish and mammals.
Analyze Blood Flow Patterns -
Trace the pathway of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood through the amphibian heart to understand its circulatory efficiency.
Evaluate Circulatory Adaptations -
Assess how the amphibian heart's structure supports both aquatic and terrestrial lifestyles.
Apply Anatomical Knowledge -
Use your understanding of amphibian heart chambers to interpret quiz questions and real-world dissection scenarios.
Cheat Sheet
Chamber Composition -
The amphibian heart has three chambers: two atria for receiving blood and one ventricle for pumping it out, a design detailed by the University of Cambridge Biology Department. When asked "how many heart chambers does an amphibian have," remember it bridges the gap between the two-chambered fish heart and the four-chambered mammalian heart.
Ventricular Mixing -
In the single ventricle of the amphibian heart, oxygenated and deoxygenated blood mix slightly because of an incomplete septum, as described in Nature Reviews Physiology. This partial mixing supports cutaneous respiration and allows for efficient oxygen uptake on land and in water.
Circulatory Pathway -
Amphibians exhibit double circulation with the pulmonary and systemic circuits separating lung and body blood flow after the ventricle, according to the Journal of Experimental Biology. Understanding this helps answer "how many chambers does the amphibian heart have" and why this structure suits their bimodal lifestyle.
Comparative Anatomy -
Compared to the two-chamber fish heart and the four-chamber mammalian heart, the three-chamber design of the amphibian heart represents an evolutionary intermediate, highlighted in a study from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. This showcases a key vertebrate adaptation to terrestrial environments.
Mnemonic Aid -
Remember "TAV" (Two Atria, Ventricle) or visualize a triangle to recall the three chambers, a trick featured in Duke University Zoology lectures. This mnemonic makes it effortless to recall how many chambers does a amphibian heart have during your quiz.
