Amphibian skin. External structure and lifestyle of the lake frog. Pass. Class amphibians

Batrachology –(from the Greek Batrachos - frog) studies amphibians, now part of herpetology.

Planning a theme.

Lesson 1. External structure and lifestyle of the lake frog.

Lesson 2. Features of the organization of a frog.

Lesson 3. Development and reproduction of amphibians.

Lesson 4. Origin of amphibians.

Lesson 5. Diversity of amphibians.

Lesson 6. Test.

Basic terms and concepts of the topic.

Amphibians
Hip
Legless
Anurans
Shin
Sternum
Toads
Brush
Clavicles
Cutaneous pulmonary respiration
frogs
Brain
Cerebellum
Forearm
Bud
Medulla
Salamanders
Triton
Worms.

Lesson 1. External structure and lifestyle of the lake frog

Tasks: Using the example of a frog, introduce students to the features of external structure and movement.

Equipment: wet preparation “internal structure of a frog”. Table “Type Chordata. Class amphibians."

During the classes

1. Studying new material.

general characteristics class

The first terrestrial vertebrates that still retained contact with aquatic environment. In most species, eggs do not have dense shells and can only develop in water. The larvae lead an aquatic lifestyle and only after metamorphosis switch to a terrestrial lifestyle. Breathing is pulmonary and cutaneous. The paired limbs of amphibians are designed in the same way as those of all other terrestrial vertebrates - they are basically five-fingered limbs, which are multi-membered levers (a fish fin is a single-membered lever). A new pulmonary circulation is formed. In adult forms, the lateral line organs usually disappear. Due to the terrestrial lifestyle, the middle ear cavity is formed.

Appearance and dimensions.

Habitat

The larva (tadpole) lives in an aquatic environment (fresh water bodies). An adult frog leads an amphibious lifestyle. Our other frogs (grass, sharp-faced) live on land after the breeding season - they can be found in the forest, in the meadow.

Movement

The larva moves using its tail. An adult frog moves by jumping on land, and swims in water, pushing off with its hind legs equipped with membranes.

Nutrition

The frog feeds on: aerial insects (flies, mosquitoes), grabbing them with the help of an ejected sticky tongue, ground insects, slugs.

Capable of grasping (with the help of its jaws, there are teeth on the upper jaw) even fish fry.

Enemies

Birds (herons, storks); predatory mammals (badger, raccoon dog); predatory fish.

2. Consolidation.

• What animals are called amphibians?
• What living conditions and why limit the spread of amphibians on Earth?
• How do amphibians differ in appearance from fish?
• What features of the external structure of amphibians contribute to their life on land and in water?

3. Homework: 45.

Lesson 2. Features of the internal organization of a frog

Tasks: Using the example of a frog, introduce students to the structural features of organ systems and integument.

Equipment: wet preparations, relief table “Internal structure of a frog.”

During the classes

1. Testing knowledge and skills

• What environmental factors determine the activity of a frog?
• How is the frog’s external structure adapted to life on land?
• What are the structural features of a frog associated with life in water?
• What role do the front and back legs of a frog play on land and in water?
• tell us about the life of a frog based on your summer observations.

2. Studying new material.

Veils.

The skin is bare, moist, rich in multicellular glands. The secreted mucus protects the skin from drying out and thereby ensures its participation in gas exchange. The skin has bactericidal properties - it prevents pathogenic microorganisms from entering the body. In fire toads, toads, and some salamanders, the secretion secreted by the skin glands contains toxic substances - none of the animals eat such amphibians. Skin coloring serves as camouflage - protective coloring. Poisonous species have bright, warning colors.

Skeleton.

The spinal column is divided into 4 sections:

• cervical (1 vertebra)
• trunk
• sacral
• tail

In frogs, the tail vertebrae are fused into one bone - urostyle. The auditory ossicle forms in the middle ear cavity. stapes.

Limb structure:

Nervous system and sensory organs.

The transition to a terrestrial lifestyle was accompanied by a transformation of the central nervous system and sensory organs. The relative size of the brain of amphibians compared to fish is small. The forebrain is divided into two hemispheres. Clusters of nerve cells in the roof of the hemispheres form the primary medullary vault - archipallium.

Sense organs provide orientation in water (larvae and some tailed amphibians have developed lateral line organs) and on land (vision, hearing), smell, touch, taste organs and thermoreceptors.

Respiration and gas exchange.

In general, milking amphibians is characterized by pulmonary and cutaneous respiration. In frogs, these types of respiration are represented in almost equal proportions. In dry-loving gray toads, the proportion of pulmonary respiration reaches approximately 705; In newts leading an aquatic lifestyle, cutaneous respiration predominates (70%).

Correlation between pulmonary and cutaneous respiration.

American lungless salamanders and Far Eastern newts have only pulmonary breathing. Some caudates (European Proteus) have external gills.

The lungs of frogs are simple: thin-walled, hollow, cellular sacs that open directly into the laryngeal slit. Since the frog has no neck as a section, there are no air passages (trachea). The breathing mechanism is pumping, due to the lowering and raising of the bottom of the oropharyngeal cavity. As a result, the frog's skull has a flattened shape.

Digestion.

Compared to fish, frogs have no fundamental innovations in the structure of the digestive system. But salivary glands appear, the secretion of which so far only moistens the food without having a chemical effect on it. The mechanism of swallowing food is interesting: swallowing is aided by the eyes moving into the oropharyngeal cavity.

Circulatory system.
The heart is three-chambered, the blood in the heart is mixed (venous in the right atrium, arterial in the left atrium, mixed in the ventricle.

The regulation of blood flow is carried out by a special formation - an arterial cone with a spiral valve, directing the most venous blood to the lungs and skin for oxidation, mixed blood to other organs of the body, and arterial blood to the brain. A second circle of blood circulation has appeared (there is also a pulmonary circulation in lungfishes).

Selection.

Trunk or mesonephric kidney.

3. Consolidation.

• How are the skeletal structures of amphibians and fish similar?
• What features of the amphibian skeleton distinguish it from the fish skeleton?
• What are the similarities and differences between the digestive systems of amphibians and fish?
• Why can amphibians breathe atmospheric air, how do they breathe?
• How is the circulatory system of amphibians different?

4. Homework . 46, make an answer plan.

Lesson 3. Reproduction and development of amphibians

Tasks: reveal the features of reproduction and development of amphibians.

Equipment: relief table “Internal structure of a frog.”

During the classes

I. Learning new material.

1. Reproductive organs.

Amphibians are dioecious animals. The reproductive organs of amphibians and fish are similar in structure. The ovaries of females and the testes of males are located in the body cavity. In frogs, fertilization is external. The eggs are laid in the water and sometimes attached to aquatic plants. The shape of the caviar clutches different types different. The rate of embryonic development strongly depends on the water temperature, so it takes from 5 to 15-30 days before the tadpole hatches from the egg. The emerging tadpole is very different from the adult frog; he has predominantly fish-like features. As the larvae grow and develop, great changes occur: paired limbs appear, gill respiration is replaced by pulmonary respiration, the heart becomes three-chambered, and a second circle of blood circulation occurs. There is a change in appearance. The tail disappears, the shape of the head and body changes, and paired limbs develop.

Comparative characteristics of a frog and a tadpole

The duration of the larval period depends on the climate: in a warm climate (Ukraine) - 35-40 days, in a cold climate (northern Russia) - 60-70 days

In newts, the larvae hatch more fully formed: they have a more developed tail and larger external gills. The very next day they begin to actively hunt for small invertebrates.

The ability of larvae to reproduce sexually is called neoteny.

Some scientists suggest that Proteus amphiums and sirenians (all tailed amphibians) are neotenic larvae of some salamanders, in which the adult form completely disappeared during evolution.

The larva of a tailed amphibian, Ambystoma, is called axolotl. She is capable of reproducing.

2. Caring for offspring.

A number of amphibian species are characterized by care for their offspring, which can manifest itself in a variety of ways.

A) Building nests (or using other shelters for eggs).

Phyllomedusa nest. South American phyllomedusa frogs make nests from the leaves of plants hanging over the water. The larvae live in the nest for some time and then fall out into the water.

A female Ceylon fish snake makes a nest of own body, entwining the eggs laid in the hole. The female uses secretions from her skin glands to protect the eggs from drying out.

B) Carrying eggs on the body or in special formations inside.

In the midwife toad, the male wraps ropes of eggs around the hind legs and wears them until the tadpoles hatch.

The male rhinoderma frog carries the eggs in the vocal sac. Hatched tadpoles fuse with the walls of the sac: contact occurs with the circulatory system of the adult - this ensures that nutrients and oxygen enter the tadpole’s blood, and decay products are carried away by the male’s blood.

In pipa Suriname, eggs (eggs) develop in leathery cells on the back. The eggs hatch into small frogs that have completed their metamorphosis.

Such care for the offspring is caused primarily by a lack of oxygen in the water, as well as by a large number of predators in tropical waters.

B) Liveliness.

Known for tailed animals (alpine salamanders), some legless and tailless toads (some desert toads).

II. Testing knowledge and skills.

• Oral survey.
• Students work with cards.

III. Homework:§ 47, answer the textbook questions.

Lesson 4. Origin of amphibians

Tasks: prove the origin of amphibians from ancient lobe-finned fish.

Equipment: wet preparations, tables.

During the classes

I. Testing knowledge and skills.

1. Conversation with students on the following questions:

• When and where do amphibians breed?
• What are the similarities in the reproduction of amphibians and fish?
• What does this similarity prove?
• What is the main difference between fish and amphibians?

2. Working with cards.

The close connection with water and the similarity with fish in the early stages of development indicate the origin of amphibians from ancient fish. It remains to be clarified from which exact group of fish amphibians originate and what force drove them out of the aquatic environment and forced them to move to a terrestrial existence. Modern lungfish were considered amphibians, and then they began to be seen as a link between amphibians and real fish.

The appearance of the most ancient amphibians dates back to the end of the Devonian period, and their flourishing to the Carboniferous.

Initially, amphibians were represented by small forms. Oldest amphibian fossils Carboniferous period in general body shape they resemble our newts, but differ from all modern amphibians in the strong development of the dermal skeleton, especially on the head. Therefore, they were allocated to a special subclass stegocephali.

The structure of the skull is the most characteristic feature of stegocephalians. It consists of numerous bones that fit tightly together and leave an opening only for the eyes, nostrils, and another unpaired opening on the crown. In most stegocephalians, the ventral side of the body was covered with a shell of scales sitting in rows. The axial skeleton is poorly developed: the notochord was preserved and the vertebrae consisted of individual elements that had not yet been fused into one continuous whole.

According to the theory of academician I.I. Schmalhausen, amphibians, and therefore all terrestrial vertebrates, descended from ancient freshwater lobe-finned fish. The intermediate form between fish and amphibians is called Ichthyostegas.

III. Consolidation

Choose the correct answer option I

The teacher completes the students' answers.

IV. Homework:§ 47 to the end, answer the questions.

Lesson 5. Diversity of amphibians

Tasks: To introduce students to the diversity of amphibians and their importance.

Equipment: tables.

During the classes

I. Testing knowledge and skills.

• Students work with cards.
• Conversation with students on textbook issues.
• Oral answers.

II. Learning new material.

Ancient amphibians were more confined to bodies of water than their modern descendants. They were held in the aquatic environment by both a heavy bony skull and a weak spine. As a result, a group of stegocephalians, which gave rise to both later amphibians and ancient reptiles, - ceased to exist, and further development class went in the direction of unloading the bone skull, eliminating bone formations on the skin and ossification of the spine. Currently the process historical development amphibians led to the formation of three sharply separate groups - the orders of tailed and tailless amphibians already known to us and a very peculiar order of legless, or caecilians, in which there are about 50 species, confined to the humid tropical countries of both hemispheres. This is a specialized group, whose representatives have “gone underground”: they live in the soil, feeding on various living creatures there, and in appearance they resemble earthworms.

In the modern fauna, the most prosperous group is the tailless amphibians (about 2,100 species). Within this group, further development went in different directions: some forms remained closely associated with the aquatic environment (green frogs), others turned out to be more adapted to terrestrial existence (brown frogs and especially toads), others switched to life in trees (frogs), diverging thus in the living communities (biocenoses) of our modern nature.

Feeding on various small living creatures, amphibians destroy a significant number of insects and their larvae. Therefore, frogs and toads can be classified as protectors of the crop and friends of gardeners.

III. Homework: § 48, repeat §§ 45-47.

Pass. Class amphibians

OPTION I

Choose the correct answer

1. Amphibians are the first vertebrates:

a) reached land and became completely independent of water;

b) those who came to land, but did not break their connection with water;

c) those who came to land, and only a few of them cannot live without water;

d) have become dioecious.

2. amphibians using skin:

a) can drink water;

b) cannot drink water;

c) some can drink water, others cannot;

d) distinguish between light and darkness.

3. During pulmonary breathing, inhalation in amphibians is carried out thanks to:

a) lowering and raising the floor of the oral cavity;

b) change in the volume of the body cavity;

c) swallowing movements

d) diffusion.

4. Amphibians have real ribs:

a) only tailless;

b) only tailed;

c) both tailless and tailed;

d) only in the larval state.

5. Blood flows through the body of adult amphibians:

a) in one circle of blood circulation;

b) in two circles of blood circulation;

c) for the majority in two circles of blood circulation;

d) in three circles of blood circulation.

6. In the cervical spine of amphibians there is:

a) three cervical vertebrae;

b) two cervical vertebrae;

c) one cervical vertebra;

d) four cervical vertebrae.

7. The forebrain of amphibians compared to the forebrain of fish:

a) larger, with complete division into two hemispheres;

b) larger, but without division into hemispheres;

c) has not undergone any changes;

d) smaller.

8. The hearing organ of amphibians consists of:

a) inner ear;

b) inner and middle ear;

c) inner, middle and outer ear;

d) external ear.

9. The genitourinary organs of amphibians open:

a) into the cloaca;

b) independent holes;

c) in tailless animals - into the cloaca, in tailed animals - with independent external openings;

d) one independent external hole,

10. Tadpole heart:

a) three-chamber;

b) two-chamber;

c) two-chamber or three-chamber;

d) four-chamber.

OPTION II

Choose the correct answer

1. Skin of amphibians:

a) all have bare, mucous membrane, devoid of any keratinized cells;

b) everyone has a keratinized layer of cells;

c) in the majority it is bare, mucous, in a few it has a keratinized layer of cells;

d) dry, devoid of any glands.

2. Amphibians breathe using:

a) only skin;

b) lungs and skin;

c) only lungs;

d) only gills.

3. Heart in adult amphibians:

a) three-chamber, consisting of two atria and a ventricle;

b) three-chamber, consisting of an atrium and two ventricles;

c) two-chamber, consisting of the atrium and ventricle;

d) four-chamber, consisting of two atria and two ventricles.

4. Cerebellum in amphibians:

a) very small for everyone;

b) very small, in some species of caudates it is practically absent;

c) larger than fish;

d) the same as in fish.

5. Vision in amphibians compared to the vision of fish:

a) less farsighted;

b) more farsighted;

c) remained unchanged;

d) has almost lost its meaning.

6. Lateral line organs in adult amphibians:

a) absent;

b) are present in most species;

c) are present in those species that spend constantly or most of their lives in water;

d) are present in those species that spend most of their lives on land.

7. Adult amphibians feed on:

a) filamentous algae;

b) various aquatic plants;

c) plants, invertebrates and, less frequently, vertebrates;

d) invertebrates, less often vertebrates.

8. Teeth of amphibians:

a) are present in many species;

b) are present only in caudates;

c) are found only in anurans;

d) absent in most species.

9. Fertilization in amphibians:

a) everyone has an internal one;

b) external for everyone;

c) in some species it is internal, in others it is external;

d) for the majority it is internal.

10. The life of amphibians is connected with bodies of water:

a) salty;

b) fresh;

c) both salty and fresh.

11. Amphibians originated:

a) from coelacanths, which were considered extinct;

b) extinct freshwater lobe-finned fish;

c) lungfish

Write down the numbers of the correct judgments.

1. Amphibians include vertebrates
   whose reproduction is associated with water.
2. Amphibians have a middle ear, separated from the external environment by the eardrum.
3. The skin of toads has keratinized cells.
4. Among amphibians, the largest animal is the Nile crocodile.
5. Toads live on land and breed in water.
6. The skeleton of the girdle of the forelimbs of amphibians contains crow bones.
7. The eyes of amphibians have movable eyelids.
8. The skin of a pond frog is always wet - it does not have time to dry while the animal is on land for some time.
9. All amphibians have swimming membranes between the toes of their hind legs.
10. Amphibians, like fish, lack salivary glands.
11. The forebrain in amphibians is better developed than in fish.
12. The heart of tailless amphibians is three-chambered, while that of tailed amphibians is two-chambered.
13. In amphibians, mixed blood flows to the body organs through blood vessels.
14. Frogs are dioecious animals, newts are hermaphrodites.
15. Fertilization in most amphibians is internal - females lay fertilized eggs.
16. Development in most amphibians occurs with transformations according to the scheme: egg - larva of different ages - adult animal.
17. Some of the amphibians are crepuscular and nocturnal and provide great assistance to humans in reducing the number of slugs and other plant pests.

Phylum chordata. Class reptiles or reptiles.

Herpetology– (from the Greek Herpeton - reptiles) – studies reptiles and amphibians.

Planning a theme

Lesson 1. External structure and lifestyle. (Appendix 6)

Lesson 2. Features internal structure. (Appendix 7)

Lesson 3. Development and reproduction of reptiles. (

External features of the skin

Skin and fat make up about 15% of the total weight of the grass frog.

The frog's skin is mucus-covered and moist. Of our forms, the skin of aquatic frogs is the most durable. The skin on the dorsal side of the animal is generally thicker and stronger than the skin on the belly, and also bears a greater number of different tubercles. In addition to a number of formations already described earlier, there is also a large number of permanent and temporary tubercles, especially numerous in the area of ​​the anus and on the hind limbs. Some of these tubercles, which usually have a pigment spot at their apex, are tactile. Other tubercles owe their formation to glands. Usually at the top of the latter it is possible to distinguish the exit openings of the glands with a magnifying glass, and sometimes with the naked eye. Finally, the formation of temporary tubercles is possible as a result of contraction of smooth skin fibers.

During mating time, male frogs develop “nuptial calluses” on the first toe of the forelimbs, which differ in structure from species to species.

The surface of the callus is covered with pointed tubercles or papillae, arranged differently in different species. There is one gland for approximately 10 papillae. The glands are simple tubular and are about 0.8 mm long and 0.35 mm wide each. The opening of each gland opens independently and is about 0.06 mm wide. It is possible that the papillae of the “callus” are modified sensitive tubercles, but the main function of the “callus” is mechanical - it helps the male to firmly hold the female. It has been suggested that the secretions of the callus glands prevent inflammation of those inevitable scratches and wounds that form on the female's skin during mating.

After spawning, the “callus” decreases and its rough surface becomes smooth again.

On the female's sides, in the back of the back and on top surface In the hind limbs, during mating time, a mass of “nuptial tubercles” develops, playing the role of a tactile apparatus that excites the female’s sexual feelings.

Rice. 1. Mating calluses of frogs:

a - pond, b - grass, c - sharp-faced.

Rice. 2. Cut through the callus:

1 - tubercles (papillae) of the epidermis, 2 - epidermis, 3 - deep layer of skin and subcutaneous tissue, 4 - glands, 5 - gland opening, 6 - pigment, 7 - blood vessels.

The skin color of different species of frogs is very diverse and is almost never the same color.

A - grass frog, B - pond frog.

The majority of species (67-73%) have a brown, blackish or yellowish general background of the upper body. Rana plicatella from Singapore has a bronze back, and isolated areas of bronze color are found on our pond frog. A modification of the brown color is red. Our grass frog occasionally comes across red specimens; for Rana malabarica, a dark crimson color is the norm. Slightly more than a quarter (26-31%) of all frog species are green or olive in color on top. The large color (71%) of frogs lacks a longitudinal dorsal stripe. In 20% of species the presence of a dorsal stripe is variable. A clear permanent stripe is present in a relatively small number (5%) of species, sometimes three light stripes run along the back (South African Rana fasciata). The presence of a connection between the dorsal stripe and sex and age for our species has not yet been established. It is possible that it has a shielding thermal significance (it runs along the spinal cord). Half of all frog species have a single-colored belly, while the other half have a more or less spotted belly.

The coloring of frogs varies greatly both from individual to individual and within one individual, depending on conditions. The most permanent color element is black spots. In our green frogs, the general background color can vary from lemon yellow (in bright sun; rarely) through different shades of green to dark olive and even brown-bronze (in moss in winter). The general background color of the grass frog can vary from yellow, through red and brown, to black-brown. The color changes of the sharp-faced frog are smaller in amplitude.

During mating time, males of the sharp-faced frog acquire a bright blue color, and in males of the grass frog the skin covering the throat turns blue.

Albino adults grass frogs were observed at least four times. Three observers saw albino tadpoles of this species. An albino sharp-faced frog was found near Moscow (Terentyev, 1924). Finally, an albino pond frog (Pavesi) was observed. Melanism has been noted for the green frog, the grass frog, and for Rana graeca.

Rice. 4. Mating tubercles of a female grass frog.

Rice. 5. Cross section of the belly skin of a green frog. 100x magnification:

1 - epidermis, 2 - spongy layer of skin, 3 - dense layer of skin, 4 - subcutaneous tissue, 5 - pigment, 6 - elastic threads, 7 - anastomoses of elastic threads, 8 - glands.

Skin structure

The skin consists of three layers: the superficial, or epidermis (epidermis), which has numerous glands, the deep, or skin proper (corium), which also contains a number of glands, and, finally, the subcutaneous tissue (tela subcutanea).

The epidermis consists of 5-7 different cellular layers, the top of which is keratinized. It is called accordingly the stratum corneum (stratum corneum), in contrast to others called germinal or mucous (stratum germinativum = str. mucosum).

The greatest thickness of the epidermis is observed on the palms, soles and, especially, on the joint pads. The lower cells of the germinal layer of the epidermis are tall and cylindrical. At their base there are tooth-like or spine-like processes that protrude into the deep layer of skin. Numerous mitoses are observed in these cells. The higher-lying cells of the germ layer are diversely polygonal and gradually flatten as they approach the surface. The cells are connected to each other by intercellular bridges, between which there are small lymphatic gaps. Cells immediately adjacent to the stratum corneum become keratinized to varying degrees. This process is especially intensified before molting, which is why these cells are called the replacement or reserve layer. Immediately after molting, a new replacement layer appears. The cells of the germ layer may contain grains of brown or black pigment. Especially many of these grains are contained in chrysmatophores, which are star-shaped cells. Most often, chromatophores are found in the middle layers of the mucous layer and are never found in the stratum corneum. There are stellate cells without pigment. Some researchers consider them to be a degenerating stage of chromatophores, while others consider them to be “wandering” cells. The stratum corneum consists of flat, thin, polygonal cells that retain their nuclei despite keratinization. Sometimes these cells contain brown or black pigment. The pigment of the epidermis generally plays a lesser role in coloring than the pigment of the deep layer of the skin. Some parts of the epidermis contain no pigment at all (the belly), while others give rise to permanent dark patches of skin. Above the stratum corneum, a small shiny stripe (Fig. 40)—the cuticle—is visible on the preparations. For the most part, the cuticle forms a continuous layer, but on the articular pads it breaks up into a number of sections. When molting, only the stratum corneum normally sheds, but sometimes the cells of the replacement layer also shed.

In young tadpoles, epidermal cells bear ciliated cilia.

The deep layer of the skin, or the skin itself, is divided into two layers - spongy or upper (stratum spongiosum = str. laxum) and dense (stratum compactum = str. medium).

The spongy layer appears in ontogenesis only with the development of the glands, and before that the dense layer is adjacent directly to the epidermis. In those parts of the body where there are many glands, the spongy layer is thicker than the dense one, and vice versa. The border of the spongy layer of the skin proper with the germinal layer of the epidermis in some places represents a flat surface, while in other places (for example, “nuptial calluses”) we can talk about papillae of the spongy layer of the skin. The basis of the spongy layer is connective tissue with irregularly curled thin fibers. It includes glands, blood and lymph vessels, pigment cells and nerves. Directly below the epidermis there is a light, weakly pigmented border plate. Underneath it lies a thin layer, penetrated by the excretory canals of the glands and richly supplied with vessels - the vascular layer (stratum vasculare). It contains numerous pigment cells. On colored parts of the skin, two types of such pigment cells can be distinguished: more superficial yellow or gray xantholeukophores and deeper, dark, branched melanophores, closely adjacent to the vessels. The deepest part of the spongy layer is the glandular layer (stratum glandulare). The basis of the latter is connective tissue, penetrated by lymphatic slits containing numerous stellate and spindle-shaped immobile and motile cells. This is where the skin glands are found. The dense layer of the skin itself can also be called a layer of horizontal fibers, because it consists mainly of connective tissue plates running parallel to the surface with slight wavy bends. Under the bases of the glands, the dense layer forms depressions, and between the glands it protrudes dome-shaped into the spongy layer. Experiments with feeding frogs with crappies (Kashchenko, 1882) and direct observations force us to contrast the upper part of the dense layer with its entire main mass, called the lattice layer. The latter does not have a lamellar structure. In some places, the bulk of the dense layer turns out to be pierced by vertically running elements, among which two categories can be distinguished: isolated thin bundles of connective tissue that do not penetrate the ethmoidal layer, and “piercing bundles” consisting of vessels, nerves, connective tissue and elastic threads, and also smooth muscle fibers. Most of these piercing bundles extend from the subcutaneous tissue to the epidermis. Connective tissue elements predominate in the abdominal skin tufts, while muscle fibers predominate in the dorsal skin tufts. Composed into small muscle bundles, smooth muscle cells can, when contracting, give the phenomenon of “goose bumps” (cutis anserina). Interestingly, it appears when the medulla oblongata is cut. Elastic threads in frog skin were first discovered by Tonkov (1900). They go inside the piercing bundles, often giving arc-like connections with elastic connections of other bundles. Elastic threads are especially strong in the abdominal area.

Rice. 6, Epidermis of the palm with chromatophores. 245x magnification

Subcutaneous tissue (tela subcutanea = subcutis), which connects the skin as a whole with muscles or bones, exists only in limited areas of the frog’s body, where it directly passes into intermuscular tissue. In most places on the body, the skin lies over large lymphatic sacs. Each lymph sac, lined with endothelium, splits the subcutaneous tissue into two plates: one adjacent to the skin, and the other covering the muscles and bones.

Rice. 7. Cut through the epidermis of the belly skin of a green frog:

1 - cuticle, 2 - stratum corneum, 3 - germinal layer.

Inside the plate adjacent to the skin, cells with gray granular content are observed, especially in the abdominal area. They are called "interfering cells" and are considered to give the color a slight silvery sheen. Apparently, there are differences between the sexes in the nature of the structure of the subcutaneous tissue: in males, special white or yellowish connective tissue ribbons are described that encircle some muscles of the body (lineamasculina).

The frog's coloring is created primarily by elements found in the skin itself.

Four types of coloring matter are known in frogs: brown or black - melanins, golden yellow - lipochromes from the group of fats, gray or white grains of guanine (a substance close to urea) and the red coloring matter of brown frogs. These pigments are found separately, and the chromatophores that carry them are called, respectively, melanophores, xanthophores or lipophores (in brown frogs they also contain a red dye) and leucophores (guanophores). However, often lipochromes, in the form of droplets, are found together with guanine grains in the same cell - such cells are called xantholeucophores.

Podyapolsky's (1909, 1910) indications of the presence of chlorophyll in the skin of frogs are doubtful. It is possible that he was misled by the fact that the weak alcoholic extract from the skin of a green frog has a greenish color (the color of the concentrated extract is yellow - lipochrome extract). All of the listed types of pigment cells are found in the skin itself, while in the subcutaneous tissue only stellate, light-scattering cells are found. In ontogenesis, chromatophores differentiate from cells of primitive connective tissue very early and are called melanoblasts. The formation of the latter is connected (in time and causally) with the appearance of blood vessels. Apparently, all varieties of pigment cells are derivatives of melanoblasts.

All skin glands of the frog belong to the simple alveolar type, are equipped with excretory ducts and, as mentioned above, are located in the spongy layer. The cylindrical excretory duct of the cutaneous gland opens on the surface of the skin with a triradiate opening, passing through a special funnel-shaped cell. The walls of the excretory duct are two-layered, and the rounded body of the gland itself is three-layered: the epithelium is located on the inside, and then there are the muscular (tunica muscularis) and fibrous (tunica fibrosa) membranes. Based on the details of structure and function, all skin glands of the frog are divided into mucous and granular, or poisonous. The former are larger in size (diameter from 0.06 to 0.21 mm, more often 0.12-0.16) smaller than the latter (diameter 0.13-0.80 mm, more often 0.2-0.4). There are up to 72 mucous glands per square millimeter of skin on the extremities, and in other places 30-40. The total number of them for the frog as a whole is approximately 300,000. The granular glands are distributed very unevenly throughout the body. Apparently, they exist everywhere, excluding the nictitating membrane, but they are especially numerous in the temporal, dorsolateral, cervical and humeral folds, as well as near the anus and on the dorsal side of the leg and thigh. On the belly there are 2-3 granular glands per square centimeter, while in the dorsolateral folds there are so many of them that the cells of the skin proper are reduced to thin walls between the glands.

Rice. 8. Cut through the skin of the grass frog's back:

1 - border plate, 2 - places of connection of the muscle bundle with the superficial cells of the epidermis, 3 - epidermis, 4 - smooth muscle cells, 5 - dense layer.

Rice. 9. Opening of the mucous gland. View from above:

1 - opening of the gland, 2 - funnel-shaped cell, 3 - nucleus of the funnel-shaped cell, 4 - cell of the stratum corneum of the epidermis.

Rice. 10. Section through the dorsolateral fold of a green frog, magnified 150 times:

1 - mucous gland with high epithelium, 2 - mucous gland with low epithelium, 3 - granular gland.

The epithelial cells of the mucous glands secrete a fluid liquid without being destroyed, while the secretion of the caustic juice of the granular glands is accompanied by the death of some of their epithelial cells. The secretions of the mucous glands are alkaline, and the granular ones are acidic. Considering the above-described distribution of glands on the frog’s body, it is not difficult to understand why litmus paper turns red from the secretion of the glands of the lateral fold and turns blue from the secretions of the abdominal glands. There was an assumption that the mucous and granular glands are age-related stages of one formation, but this opinion is apparently incorrect.

The blood supply to the skin goes through the large cutaneous artery (arteria cutanea magna), which splits into a number of branches running mainly in the partitions between the lymphatic sacs (septa intersaccularia). Subsequently, two communicating capillary systems are formed: subcutaneous (rete subcutaneum) in the subcutaneous tissue and subepidermal (retesub epidermale) in the spongy layer of the skin itself. IN dense layer there are no vessels. The lymphatic system forms two similar networks in the skin (subcutaneous and subepidermal), standing in connection with the lymphatic sacs.

Most nerves approach the skin, like vessels, inside the partitions between the lymphatic sacs, forming a deep subcutaneous network (plexus nervorum interог = pl. profundus) and in the spongy layer - a superficial network (plexus nervorum superficialis). The connection between these two systems, as well as similar formations of the circulatory and lymphatic systems, occurs through threading bundles.

Skin functions

The first and main function of frog skin, like any skin in general, is to protect the body. Since the frog's epidermis is relatively thin, the deep layer, or skin itself, plays the main role in mechanical protection. The role of skin mucus is very interesting: in addition to the fact that it helps to slip away from the enemy, it mechanically protects against bacteria and fungal spores. Of course, the secretions of the granular skin glands of frogs are not as poisonous as, for example, toads, but the known protective role of these secretions cannot be denied.

Injecting the green frog's skin secretions causes the goldfish to die within a minute. Immediate paralysis of the hind limbs was observed in white mice and frogs. The effect was also noticeable on rabbits. Skin secretions of some species can cause irritation when they come into contact with the human mucous membrane. The American Rana palustris with its secretions often kills other frogs planted with it. However, a number of animals quietly eat frogs. Perhaps the main significance of the secretions of the granular glands lies in their bactericidal effect.

Rice. 11. Granular gland of frog skin:

1 - excretory duct, 2 - fibrous membrane, 3 - muscular layer, 4 - epithelium, 5 - secretion granules.

The permeability of frog skin to liquids and gases is of great importance. The skin of a living frog conducts fluids from the outside to the inside more easily, while in dead skin the fluid flow goes in the opposite direction. Substances that depress vitality can stop the current and even change its direction. Frogs never drink with their mouths; we can say that they drink with their skin. If the frog is kept in a dry room and then wrapped in a wet rag or placed in water, it will soon gain noticeable weight due to the water absorbed by the skin.

The amount of liquid that the skin of a frog can secrete is given by the following experiment: you can repeatedly dump a frog in gum arabic powder, and it will continue to be dissolved by skin secretions until the frog dies from excessive loss of water.

Constantly moist skin allows gas exchange. The frog's skin releases 2/3-3/4 of all carbon dioxide, and in winter - even more. In 1 hour, 1 cm 2 of frog skin absorbs 1.6 cm 3 of oxygen and releases 3.1 cm 3 of carbon dioxide.

Immersing frogs in oil or covering them with paraffin kills them faster than removing the lungs. If sterility was maintained when removing the lungs, the operated animal can live for a long time in a jar with a small layer of water. However, temperature must be taken into account. It was described long ago (Townson, 1795) that a frog, deprived of lung activity, can live at a temperature of +10° to +12° in a box with moist air 20-40 days. On the contrary, at a temperature of +19° the frog dies in a vessel with water after 36 hours.

The skin of an adult frog does not take much part in the act of movement, with the exception of the skin membrane between the toes of the hind limb. In the first days after hatching, the larvae can move due to the ciliated cilia of the epidermis of the skin.

Frogs molt 4 or more times during the year, with the first moult occurring after awakening from hibernation. When molting, the surface layer of the epidermis comes off. In sick animals, molting is delayed, and it is possible that this very circumstance is the cause of their death. Apparently, good nutrition can stimulate shedding. There is no doubt that there is a connection between molting and the activity of the endocrine glands; hypophysectomy delays molting and leads to the development of a thick stratum corneum in the skin. Thyroid hormone plays an important role in the molting process during metamorphosis and probably affects it in the adult animal.

An important adaptation is the ability of the frog to slightly change its color. A slight accumulation of pigment in the epidermis can form only dark, permanent spots and stripes. General black and Brown color The (“background”) of frogs is the result of the accumulation of melanophores in a given place in deeper layers. Yellow and red (xanthophores) and white (leucophores) are explained in the same way. Green and blue skin colors are obtained through a combination of different chromatophores. If xanthophores are located superficially, and leukophores and melanophores lie under them, then the light falling on the skin is reflected as green, because long rays are absorbed by melanin, short rays are reflected by guanine grains, and xanthophores play the role of light filters. If the influence of xanthophores is excluded, a blue color is obtained. Previously, it was believed that color changes occur due to amoeba-like movements of the chromatophore processes: their expansion (expansion) and contraction (contraction). It is now believed that such phenomena are observed in young melanophores only during the development of the frog. In adult frogs, redistribution of black pigment grains within the pigment cell takes place by plasma currents.

If melanin grains are dispersed throughout the pigment cell, the color darkens and, conversely, the concentration of all grains in the center of the cell gives lightening. Xanthophores and leukophores apparently retain the ability of amoeboid movements in adult animals. Pigment cells, and therefore coloration, are controlled by a significant number of both external and internal factors. Melanophores exhibit the greatest sensitivity. For coloring frogs from environmental factors Temperature and humidity are the most important. Heat(+20° and above), dryness, strong light, hunger, pain, circulatory arrest, lack of oxygen and death cause lightening. Against, low temperature(+ 10° and below), as well as humidity cause darkening. The latter also occurs in carbon dioxide poisoning. In tree frogs, the sensation of a rough surface gives darkening and vice versa, but this has not yet been proven in relation to frogs. In nature and under experimental conditions, the influence of the background on which the frog sits on its color has been observed. When an animal is placed against a black background, its back quickly darkens, and its underside lags significantly. When placed on a white background, the head and forelimbs lighten the fastest, the torso slowest, and the hind limbs the last. Based on blinding experiments, it was believed that light acts on color through the eye, however, after a certain period of time, the blinded frog begins to change its color again. This, of course, does not exclude the partial significance of the eyes, and it is possible that the eye may produce a substance that acts through the blood on melanophores.

After the destruction of the central nervous system and the cutting of nerves, the chromatophores still retain some reactivity to mechanical, electrical and light stimulation. The direct effect of light on melanophores can be observed in fresh cut pieces of skin, which lighten on a white background and darken (much more slowly) on a black background. The role of internal secretion in changing skin color is extremely important. In the absence of the pituitary gland, the pigment does not develop at all. Injecting a frog into the lymphatic sac with 0.5 cm 3 of pituitrin (solution 1: 1,000) gives darkening after 30-40 minutes. A similar injection of adrenaline works much faster; 5-8 minutes after injection of 0.5 cm 3 solution (1: 2,000), lightening is observed. It was suggested that part of the light falling on the frog reaches the adrenal glands, changes their mode of operation and thereby the amount of adrenaline in the blood, which, in turn, affects the coloration.

Rice. 12. Melanophores of a frog with darkening (A) and lightening (B) of color.

There are sometimes quite subtle differences between species with regard to their response to endocrine influences. Vikhko-Filatova, working on the endocrine factors of human colostrum, conducted experiments on frogs lacking a pituitary gland (1937). The endocrine factor of prenatal colostrum and colostrum on the first day after birth gave a clear melanophore response when injected into a pond frog and had no effect on lake melanophores.

The general correspondence of the color of frogs to the colored background on which they live is beyond doubt, but especially bright examples patronizing coloring They haven't found it yet. Perhaps this is a consequence of their relatively high mobility, in which strict correspondence of their color to one particular color background would be rather harmful. The lighter color of the belly of green frogs fits the general “Thayer’s rule,” but the color of the belly of other species is still unclear. On the contrary, the role of the individually highly variable large black spots on the back is clear; merging with the dark parts of the background, they change the contours of the animal’s body (the principle of camouflage) and mask its location.

Literature used: P. V. Terentyev
Frog: Tutorial/ P.V. Terentyev;
edited by M. A. Vorontsova, A. I. Proyaeva. - M. 1950

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Amphibians(they are amphibians) - the first terrestrial vertebrates to appear in the process of evolution. However, they still maintain a close connection with the aquatic environment, usually living in it at the larval stage. Typical representatives of amphibians are frogs, toads, newts, and salamanders. Most diverse in tropical forests, because it is warm and damp there. There are no marine species among amphibians.

General characteristics of amphibians

Amphibians are a small group of animals, numbering about 5,000 species (according to other sources, about 3,000). They are divided into three groups: Tailed, Tailless, Legless. Frogs and toads familiar to us belong to the anurans, newts belong to the tailed ones.

Amphibians develop paired five-fingered limbs, which are multi-membered levers. The forelimb consists of the shoulder, forearm, and hand. Hind limb - from the thigh, lower leg, foot.

Most adult amphibians develop lungs as respiratory organs. However, they are not as perfect as in more highly organized groups of vertebrates. Therefore, skin respiration plays an important role in the life of amphibians.

The appearance of lungs in the process of evolution was accompanied by the appearance of a second circulation and a three-chambered heart. Although there is a second circuit of blood circulation, due to the three-chambered heart there is no complete separation of venous and arterial blood. Therefore, most organs receive mixed blood.

The eyes not only have eyelids, but also lacrimal glands for wetting and cleansing.

The middle ear with the eardrum appears. (In fish, only internal.) The eardrums are visible, located on the sides of the head behind the eyes.

The skin is bare, covered with mucus, and contains many glands. It does not protect against water loss, so they live near bodies of water. Mucus protects the skin from drying out and bacteria. The skin consists of epidermis and dermis. Water is also absorbed through the skin. Skin glands are multicellular, while in fish they are unicellular.

Due to the incomplete separation of arterial and venous blood, as well as imperfect pulmonary respiration, the metabolism of amphibians is slow, like that of fish. They are also cold-blooded animals.

Amphibians breed in water. Individual development proceeds with transformation (metamorphosis). The frog larva is called tadpole.

Amphibians appeared about 350 million years ago (at the end of the Devonian period) from ancient lobe-finned fish. Their heyday occurred 200 million years ago, when the Earth was covered with huge swamps.

Musculoskeletal system of amphibians

Amphibians have fewer bones in their skeletons than fish, as many bones are fused while others remain cartilage. Thus, their skeleton is lighter than that of fish, which is important for living in the air, which is less dense than water.

The brain skull is fused with the upper jaws. Only the lower jaw remains mobile. The skull retains a lot of cartilage that does not ossify.

The musculoskeletal system of amphibians is similar to that of fish, but has a number of key progressive differences. So, unlike fish, the skull and spine are movably articulated, which ensures the mobility of the head relative to the neck. For the first time, the cervical spine appears, consisting of one vertebra. However, the mobility of the head is not great; frogs can only tilt their heads. Although they have a cervical vertebra, appearance there is no neck body.

In amphibians, the spine consists of more sections than in fish. If fish have only two of them (trunk and caudal), then amphibians have four sections of the spine: cervical (1 vertebra), trunk (7), sacral (1), caudal (one tail bone in tailless amphibians or a number of separate vertebrae in tailed amphibians) . In tailless amphibians, the caudal vertebrae fuse into one bone.

The limbs of amphibians are complex. The anterior ones consist of the shoulder, forearm and hand. The hand consists of the wrist, metacarpus and phalanges of the fingers. The hind limbs consist of the thigh, tibia and foot. The foot consists of the tarsus, metatarsus and phalanges.

The limb girdles serve as support for the skeleton of the limbs. The girdle of the forelimb of an amphibian consists of a scapula, clavicle, and crow bone (coracoid), common to the girdles of both forelimbs of the sternum. The clavicles and coracoids are fused to the sternum. Due to the absence or underdevelopment of the ribs, the belts lie deep in the muscles and are in no way indirectly attached to the spine.

The hind limb girdles consist of the ischial and ilium bones, as well as pubic cartilage. Fusing together, they articulate with the lateral processes of the sacral vertebra.

The ribs, if present, are short and do not form a rib cage. Tailed amphibians have short ribs, while tailless amphibians do not.

In tailless amphibians, the ulna and radius bones are fused, and the bones of the tibia are also fused.

The muscles of amphibians have a more complex structure than those of fish. The muscles of the limbs and head are specialized. Muscle layers break down into individual muscles, which provide movement of some parts of the body relative to others. Amphibians not only swim, but also jump, walk, and crawl.

Digestive system of amphibians

The general structure of the digestive system of amphibians is similar to that of fish. However, some innovations are emerging.

The anterior tip of the tongue of frogs grows to lower jaw, and the rear one remains free. This structure of the tongue allows them to catch prey.

Amphibians develop salivary glands. Their secretion moistens food, but does not digest it in any way, since it does not contain digestive enzymes. The jaws have conical teeth. They serve to hold food.

Behind the oropharyngeal cavity is a short esophagus that opens into the stomach. Here the food is partially digested. The first section of the small intestine is the duodenum. A single duct opens into it, into which the secretions of the liver, gallbladder and pancreas enter. Digestion of food is completed in the small intestine and nutrients are absorbed into the blood.

Undigested food remains enter the large intestine, from where it moves to the cloaca, which is an extension of the intestine. The ducts of the excretory and reproductive systems also open into the cloaca. From it, undigested residues enter the external environment. Fish do not have a cloaca.

Adult amphibians feed on animal food, most often various insects. Tadpoles feed on plankton and plant matter.

Respiratory system of amphibians

Amphibian larvae (tadpoles) have gills and one circulation (like fish).

In adult amphibians, lungs appear, which are elongated sacs with thin elastic walls that have a cellular structure. The walls contain a network of capillaries. The respiratory surface of the lungs is small, so the bare skin of amphibians also participates in the breathing process. Up to 50% of oxygen enters through it.

The mechanism of inhalation and exhalation is ensured by the raising and lowering of the floor of the oral cavity. When lowering, inhalation occurs through the nostrils; when raising, air is pushed into the lungs, while the nostrils are closed. Exhalation is also carried out by raising the bottom of the mouth, but at the same time the nostrils are open and the air comes out through them. Also, when you exhale, the abdominal muscles contract.

Gas exchange occurs in the lungs due to the difference in gas concentrations in the blood and air.

The lungs of amphibians are not well developed enough to fully ensure gas exchange. Therefore, skin breathing is important. Drying out amphibians can cause them to suffocate. Oxygen first dissolves in the fluid covering the skin and then diffuses into the blood. Carbon dioxide also first appears in the liquid.

In amphibians, unlike fish, the nasal cavity has become through and is used for breathing.

Underwater, frogs breathe only through their skin.

Circulatory system of amphibians

A second circle of blood circulation appears. It passes through the lungs and is called the pulmonary circulation, as well as the pulmonary circulation. The first circle of blood circulation, passing through all organs of the body, is called major.

The heart of amphibians is three-chambered, consisting of two atria and one ventricle.

The right atrium receives venous blood from the organs of the body, as well as arterial blood from the skin. The left atrium receives arterial blood from the lungs. The vessel entering the left atrium is called pulmonary vein.

Contraction of the atria pushes blood into the common ventricle of the heart. Here the blood is partially mixed.

From the ventricle, blood is sent through separate vessels to the lungs, body tissues, and head. The most venous blood from the ventricle enters the lungs through the pulmonary arteries. Almost pure arterial blood flows to the head. The most mixed blood entering the body flows from the ventricle into the aorta.

This division of blood is achieved by a special arrangement of vessels emerging from the distribution chamber of the heart, where blood enters from the ventricle. When the first portion of blood is pushed out, it fills the closest vessels. And this is the most venous blood, which enters the pulmonary arteries, goes to the lungs and skin, where it is enriched with oxygen. From the lungs, blood returns to the left atrium. The next portion of blood - mixed - enters the aortic arches, going to the organs of the body. The most arterial blood enters the distant pair of vessels (carotid arteries) and is directed to the head.

Excretory system of amphibians

The kidneys of amphibians are trunk-shaped and have an oblong shape. Urine enters the ureters, then flows along the wall of the cloaca into bladder. When the bladder contracts, urine flows into the cloaca and then out.

The excretion product is urea. Its removal requires less water than the removal of ammonia (which is produced by fish).

Reabsorption of water occurs in the renal tubules of the kidneys, which is important for its conservation in air conditions.

Nervous system and sensory organs of amphibians

There were no key changes in the amphibian nervous system compared to fish. However, the forebrain of amphibians is more developed and divided into two hemispheres. But their cerebellum is less developed, since amphibians do not need to maintain balance in water.

Air clearer than water Therefore, vision plays a leading role in amphibians. They see further than fish, their lens is flatter. There are eyelids and nictitating membranes (or an upper fixed eyelid and a lower transparent movable one).

Sound waves travel worse in air than in water. Therefore, there is a need for a middle ear, which is a tube with an eardrum (visible as a pair of thin round films behind the eyes of a frog). From the eardrum, sound vibrations are transmitted through the auditory bone to the inner ear. The Eustachian tube connects the middle ear cavity to the oral cavity. This allows you to reduce pressure drops on the eardrum.

Reproduction and development of amphibians

Frogs begin to reproduce at about 3 years of age. Fertilization is external.

Males secrete seminal fluid. In many frogs, males attach themselves to the backs of females and, while the female spawns eggs over several days, waters them with seminal fluid.

Amphibians spawn less eggs than fish. Clusters of eggs are attached to aquatic plants or float.

The mucous membrane of the egg in water swells greatly, refracts sunlight and heats up, which contributes to faster development of the embryo.

An embryo develops in each egg (in frogs it usually takes about 10 days). The larva that emerges from the egg is called a tadpole. It has many features similar to fish (two-chambered heart and one circulation, breathing with gills, lateral line organ). At first, the tadpole has external gills, which later become internal. The hind limbs appear, then the forelimbs. The lungs and the second circle of blood circulation appear. At the end of metamorphosis, the tail resolves.

The tadpole stage usually lasts several months. Tadpoles feed on plant matter.

From educational literature it is known that the skin of amphibians is bare, rich in glands that secrete a lot of mucus. On land, this mucus protects against drying out, facilitates gas exchange, and in water reduces friction when swimming. Through the thin walls of capillaries, located in a dense network in the skin, the blood is saturated with oxygen and gets rid of carbon dioxide. This “dry” information is, in general, useful, but is not capable of causing any emotions. Only with a more detailed acquaintance with the multifunctional capabilities of the skin does a feeling of surprise, admiration and understanding appear that amphibian skin is a real miracle. Indeed, largely thanks to it, amphibians successfully live in almost all parts of the world and zones. However, they do not have scales, like fish and reptiles, feathers, like birds, and fur, like mammals. The skin of amphibians allows them to breathe in water and protect themselves from microorganisms and predators. It serves as a fairly sensitive organ for perceiving external information and performs many other useful functions. Let's look at this in more detail.

Specific skin features

Like other animals, the skin of amphibians is the outer covering that protects body tissues from the harmful influences of the external environment: the penetration of pathogenic and putrefactive bacteria (if the integrity of the skin is damaged, wounds suppurate), as well as toxic substances. It perceives mechanical, chemical, temperature, pain and other influences due to being equipped with a large number of skin analyzers. Like other analyzers, skin analyzing systems consist of receptors that perceive signal information, pathways that transmit it to the central nervous system, and also higher levels that analyze this information. nerve centers V cerebral cortex. The specific features of amphibian skin are as follows: it is endowed with numerous mucous glands that maintain its moisture, which is especially important for skin respiration. The skin of amphibians is literally riddled with blood vessels. Therefore, through it oxygen enters directly into the blood and carbon dioxide is released; The skin of amphibians is given special glands that secrete (depending on the type of amphibian) bactericidal, caustic, unpleasant-tasting, tear-producing, toxic and other substances. These unique skin devices allow amphibians with bare and constantly moist skin to successfully protect themselves from microorganisms, attacks by mosquitoes, mosquitoes, ticks, leeches and other blood-sucking animals. In addition, amphibians, thanks to these protective abilities, are avoided by many predators; The skin of amphibians usually contains many different pigment cells, on which the general, adaptive and protective coloration of the body depends. So, bright color, characteristic of poisonous species, serves as a warning to attackers, etc.

Skin breathing

As inhabitants of land and water, amphibians are provided with universal respiratory system. It allows amphibians to breathe oxygen not only in the air, but also in water (although the amount there is approximately 10 times less), and even underground. Such versatility of their body is possible thanks to a whole complex of respiratory organs for extracting oxygen from the environment where they are located at a particular moment. These are the lungs, gills, oral mucosa and skin.

Skin respiration is of greatest importance for the life of most amphibian species. At the same time, the absorption of oxygen through the skin penetrated by blood vessels is possible only when the skin is moist. The skin glands are designed to moisturize the skin. The drier the surrounding air, the harder they work, releasing more and more new portions of moisture. After all, the skin is equipped with sensitive “devices”. They turn on emergency systems and modes of additional production of life-saving mucus in a timely manner.

In different species of amphibians, some respiratory organs play a major role, others play an additional role, and others may be completely absent. Thus, in aquatic inhabitants, gas exchange (oxygen absorption and carbon dioxide release) occurs mainly through the gills. The larvae of amphibians and adult tailed amphibians that constantly live in water bodies are endowed with gills. And lungless salamanders - inhabitants of land - are not provided with gills and lungs. They receive oxygen and expel carbon dioxide through moist skin and oral mucosa. Moreover, up to 93% of oxygen is provided by skin respiration. And only when individuals need particularly active movements, the system of additional oxygen supply through the mucous membrane of the bottom of the oral cavity is turned on. In this case, the share of its gas exchange can increase to 25%. The pond frog, both in water and in air, receives the main amount of oxygen through the skin and releases almost all carbon dioxide through it. Additional breathing is provided by the lungs, but only on land. When frogs and toads are immersed in water, metabolic reduction mechanisms are immediately activated. Otherwise they would not have enough oxygen.

To help skin breathing

Representatives of some species of tailed amphibians, for example, the cryptobranch, which lives in the oxygen-saturated waters of fast streams and rivers, almost do not use their lungs. The folded skin hanging from its massive limbs, in which a huge number of blood capillaries are spread out in a network, helps it extract oxygen from the water. And so that the water washing it is always fresh and there is enough oxygen in it, the cryptobranch uses appropriate instinctive actions - it actively mixes the water using oscillatory movements of the body and tail. After all, his life is in this constant movement.

The versatility of the amphibian respiratory system is also expressed in the emergence of special respiratory devices during a certain period of their life. Thus, crested newts cannot stay in water for a long time and stock up on air, rising to the surface from time to time. It is especially difficult for them to breathe during the breeding season, since when courting females they perform underwater mating dances. To ensure such a complex ritual, Triton has mating season additional grows respiratory organ- a fold of skin in the form of a ridge. The trigger mechanism of reproductive behavior also activates the body's system for the production of this important organ. It is richly supplied with blood vessels and significantly increases the proportion of skin respiration.

Tailed and tailless amphibians are also endowed with an additional unique device for oxygen-free exchange. It is successfully used, for example, by the leopard frog. It can live in oxygen-deprived cold water for up to seven days.

Some spadefoots, the family of American spadefoots, are provided with cutaneous respiration not for staying in water, but underground. There, buried, they spend most of their lives. On the surface of the earth, these amphibians, like all other tailless amphibians, ventilate their lungs by moving the floor of the mouth and inflating the sides. But after the spadefoots burrow into the ground, their pulmonary ventilation system is automatically turned off and the control of skin respiration is turned on.