Ultrastructural characteristics of the lung of Melanophryniscus stelzneri stelzneri (Weyenberg, 1875) (Anura, Bufonidae)

The lung of the toad, Melanophryniscus stelzneri stelzneri was studied using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. In M.s.stelzneri the parenchyma forms a polygonal network arrangement, therefore the parenchyma is edicular. These spaces are delimited by the interconnection of third order se...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Hermida, G.N., Farías, A., Fiorito, L.E.
Formato: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2002
País:Argentina
Recursos:Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales
Repositorio:Biblioteca Digital (UBA-FCEN)
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:paperaa:paper_03279545_v26_n3_p347_Hermida
Acesso em linha:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_03279545_v26_n3_p347_Hermida
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palavra-chave:Amphibian
Electronic microscopic
Lung ultrastructure
Respiratory epithelium
Toad
animal tissue
article
cell ultrastructure
comparative anatomy
controlled study
female
lung alveolus cell type 1
lung alveolus cell type 2
lung parenchyma
lung structure
male
melanophryniscus stelzneri stelzneri
nonhuman
respiratory epithelium
scanning electron microscopy
toad
transmission electron microscopy
Animals
Anura
Lung
Microscopy, Electron
Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
Amphibia
Animalia
Bufonidae
Melanophryniscus stelzneri
Vertebrata
Descrição
Resumo:The lung of the toad, Melanophryniscus stelzneri stelzneri was studied using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. In M.s.stelzneri the parenchyma forms a polygonal network arrangement, therefore the parenchyma is edicular. These spaces are delimited by the interconnection of third order septa which are covered by respiratory epithelium. Small patches of ciliated epithelium without goblet cells appear irregularly distributed on the septa. The respiratory epithelium consists of one type of pneumocyte, which shows characteristics of both type I and type II alveolar cells of higher vertebrates. The pneumocytes are irregular in shape and possess attenuated cytoplasmic processes, which spread around the capillaries to form the outer layer of the air-blood barrier. These cells contain different types of cytoplasmic bodies: electron dense bodies, multivesicular bodies and lamellar bodies. Dense bodies are probably the precursors of lamellar bodies and the multivesicular bodies are incorporated into the latter. Neuroepithelial bodies appear randomly distributed over the septa. These bodies are separated from the lumen of the lung by thin cytoplasmic processes of neighbouring pneumocytes. The air-blood barrier consists of three layers: epithelium, interstitial space and endothelium. The relatively simple pulmonary structure of M.s.stelzneri is due to a lower degree of partitioning of the pulmonary lumen in comparison to the lung of other bufonid anurans, could be correlated with a well developed cutaneous and buccopharingeal respiration. The testing of this hypothesis awaits further studies.