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Frogs have often been the subject of [[scientific]] experiment, whether in [[high school]] [[science]] class [[vivisection|dissections]] or [[Voltaire's]] 1766 experiments, in which he discovered that frogs hear with their legs. The discovery that a frog's [[leg]] will kick if an electrical shock is applied to it was the scientific basis behind the reflex tests now common in doctors' offices.

Frogs have often been the subject of [[scientific]] experiment, whether in [[high school]] [[science]] class [[vivisection|dissections]] or [[Voltaire's]] 1766 experiments, in which he discovered that frogs hear with their legs. The discovery that a frog's [[leg]] will kick if an electrical shock is applied to it was the scientific basis behind the reflex tests now common in doctors' offices.

Frogs have also been used a model organism in the fields of molecular biology and genetic engineering. The large, easily manipulated eggs of the frog species ''Xenopus'' serve as ideal expression systems for over-expressing genes of interest or the expression of novel or mutated genes. Because of this, ''Xenopus'' are some of the first animals to have been genetically engendered. An example of this is the expression of a florescent-tagged gene that allows researchers to track the expression of this particular gene product (a protein) in the body and observe the changes in the gene’s expression during certain disease states.<ref>http://www.cloningresources.com/research/New_Red_Fluorescent_Protein_Used_to_See_Inside_Living_Animals.asp</ref> Liberal animal rights groups object to the use of frogs in this manner, despite the promises this technology holds for the development of new treatments for human diseases. Environmentalists warn that release of these genetically modified frogs into the wild may cause detrimental effects on the environment and its native species; however, strict regulations exist aimed at preventing accidental release of genetically-modified frogs into the wild. These frogs are also extremely expensive to produce, thus the most likely means of release of such a frog into the wild would not be by accident but would instead be the result of theft.

Frogs have also been used a model organism in the fields of molecular biology and genetic engineering. The large, easily manipulated eggs of the frog species ''Xenopus'' serve as ideal expression systems for over-expressing genes of interest or the expression of novel or mutated genes. Because of this, ''Xenopus'' are some of the first animals to have been genetically engendered. An example of this is the expression of a florescent-tagged gene that allows researchers to track the expression of this particular gene product (a protein) in the body and observe the changes in the gene’s expression during certain disease states.<ref>http://www.cloningresources.com/research/New_Red_Fluorescent_Protein_Used_to_See_Inside_Living_Animals.asp</ref> Liberal animal rights groups object to the use of frogs in this manner, despite the promises this technology holds for the development of new treatments for human diseases. Environmentalists warn that release of these genetically modified frogs into the wild may cause detrimental effects on the environment and its native species; however, strict regulations exist aimed at preventing accidental release of genetically-modified frogs into the wild. These frogs are also extremely expensive to produce, thus the most likely means of release of such a frog into the wild would not be by accident but would instead be the result of theft.