Epithelial Layers of Anurans

Abstract

An important part of the present knowledge about the active transport of ions derives from experiments with anuran epithelial membranes, of which the frog skin is a typical representative. Membranes of this kind are easily mounted into split chambers or studied in the form of vesicles (see chapters 12 and 13) and they survive for many hours in various simple solutions containing only inorganic salts at arbitrary temperatures. Bladders of the toad and of the frog, although not always so easy to handle, are morphologically simpler than frog skin and have been extensively studied for more than fifteen years. The literature concerning the anuran membranes is very extensive, a review of the older work done on the frog skin having been prepared by Ussing (1960) and that of investigations of the toad bladder by Leaf (1965). The main part of this chapter therefore will be devoted to only some of the recent observations on the frog and toad skin and on the frog and toad bladder.