Structure of the túngara frog larynx
Poster Number
25
Format
Poster Presentation
Faculty Mentor Name
Marcos Gridi-Papp
Faculty Mentor Department
Biological Sciences
Abstract/Artist Statement
Despite the growing number of laboratory studies in amphibians, the intricate details of the morphology and histology of the Engystomops pustulosus larynx is still not fully understood. Previous studies have identified a pair of enlarged round fibrous masses in the larynx which the male can voluntarily vibrate to increase the complexity of the call, but the control mechanism has not been explained. In this study, we characterized the structure of the adult male larynx, by cutting 4 μm-thick slices from tissues preserved in formaldehyde, decalcified in formic acid and embedded in glycol methacrylate resin. Then, the slides were stained with toluidine blue and photographed under a dissection microscope for 3-D modeling of the the main laryngeal structures. Preliminary analyses indicate that the cricoid cartilage is highly expanded, and encloses the fibrous masses. In addition, the anterior aspect of the fibrous masses receives attachments of the laryngeal dilator muscle. These structural attachments are currently being measured and modeled to support testing of hypothesis about underwater transmission by the expanded cricoid cartilage and muscular control of fibrous mass vibration. This study will provide quantitative values that are critical for modeling the motion of the main laryngeal structures during calling.
Location
DeRosa University Center, Ballroom
Start Date
25-4-2015 10:00 AM
End Date
25-4-2015 12:00 PM
Structure of the túngara frog larynx
DeRosa University Center, Ballroom
Despite the growing number of laboratory studies in amphibians, the intricate details of the morphology and histology of the Engystomops pustulosus larynx is still not fully understood. Previous studies have identified a pair of enlarged round fibrous masses in the larynx which the male can voluntarily vibrate to increase the complexity of the call, but the control mechanism has not been explained. In this study, we characterized the structure of the adult male larynx, by cutting 4 μm-thick slices from tissues preserved in formaldehyde, decalcified in formic acid and embedded in glycol methacrylate resin. Then, the slides were stained with toluidine blue and photographed under a dissection microscope for 3-D modeling of the the main laryngeal structures. Preliminary analyses indicate that the cricoid cartilage is highly expanded, and encloses the fibrous masses. In addition, the anterior aspect of the fibrous masses receives attachments of the laryngeal dilator muscle. These structural attachments are currently being measured and modeled to support testing of hypothesis about underwater transmission by the expanded cricoid cartilage and muscular control of fibrous mass vibration. This study will provide quantitative values that are critical for modeling the motion of the main laryngeal structures during calling.