Unveiling the Truth Behind the Frog Pregnancy Test in Chemistry: Here's What You Need to Know!

Spoilers ahead for Lessons in Chemistry episode 3, "Living Dead Things."

Summary

In Episode 3 of Lessons in Chemistry, Elizabeth showcases the show's dedication to scientific accuracy by performing a frog pregnancy test to determine her pregnancy status. This test, which was commonly used in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s before the advent of modern pregnancy test kits, served as a genuine method of detection.

The content fragment is about a test that involves injecting pregnant urine into a female frog to determine if pregnancy hormones are present. When Elizabeth performed the test on her frog, it produced eggs, confirming her pregnancy.

Lessons in Chemistry, a show that explores outdated methods in scientific research, raises the question of whether this unique experiment is based on real-life endeavors. The show, inspired by Bonnie Garmus' novel of the same name, stars Brie Larson as Elizabeth Zott, a chemist and the host of a feminist, science-focused cooking show in the 1960s called Supper at Six. Throughout the series, Elizabeth uses her platform to educate housewives on scientific topics. In episode 3, "Living Dead Things," Elizabeth's knowledge of chemistry becomes particularly significant when it comes to her frog pregnancy test.

The third episode of the unconventional Apple TV+ series plunges Elizabeth's life into complete turmoil. Not only does she suffer the loss of Calvin, a beloved character from Lessons of Chemistry, but their groundbreaking research is also stolen by Hastings Lab. Adding to the complexity, Elizabeth makes the shocking realization that she is pregnant with Calvin's child, despite his unfortunate demise. These revelations and sudden events would be overwhelming for anyone, but they pose an even greater challenge for Elizabeth due to her distinctive career. As a dedicated chemist, she employs a rather unusual method to confirm her pregnancy: the infamous frog pregnancy test featured in Lessons in Chemistry.

Elizabeth Performed An Experiment With Frogs As A Pregnancy Test In Lessons In Chemistry

In episode 3 of Lessons in Chemistry, titled "Living Dead Things," Elizabeth decides to conduct a unique experiment for her personal enlightenment rather than for the viewers of Supper at Six. While the episode features unusual elements such as Elizabeth's dog, Six Thirty, providing voice-over narration, the standout aspect is the show's dedication to scientific accuracy. Despite Elizabeth's previous stance on not wanting children, she confronts the possibility of being pregnant.

Given the limited availability of at-home pregnancy test sticks in the 1960s, Elizabeth resorts to an alternative method involving frogs. In Lessons in Chemistry episode 3, she obtains her own urine and injects it into a female frog she took from Hastings. Several hours later, the frog, now with urine-injected eggs, confirms Elizabeth's pregnancy. Although not as conventional as using a symbol-producing stick, the frog pregnancy test serves its purpose. Throughout the rest of episode 3, Elizabeth grapples with frustration while consciously avoiding the realities of her situation.

Is The Frog Pregnancy Test A Real Thing?

Lessons in Chemistry takes inspiration from the real-life frog pregnancy test, which was commonly used during the time period the story is set in. Before the availability of pregnancy test kits, people in the '40s, '50s, and '60s relied on the Hogben test, which involved observing the biological response of certain frog species to pregnancy hormones. Female frogs would ovulate when exposed to the urine of a pregnant person, just like in Lessons in Chemistry. (Source: The Atlantic)