If the young tadpole is given an excess of thyroxine?
Open in App
Solution
The hormone thyroxine plays a major role in the development of an organism.
In amphibians like frogs, this hormone is specifically involved in metamorphosis which is the process by which a tadpole develops into an adult frog.
In tadpoles, this hormone governs the development of limbs and the resorption of the tail and the gills.
It does so by acting on specific genes, directing them in the degeneration of these organs and replace them with the ones found in the adult (like limbs and lungs).
Administration of a young tadpole with an excess of thyroxine might result in an early metamorphosis.