title: Morphogenesis of the frontal organ in Bufo bufo during development.
abstract: Morphogenesis of the frontal organ in Bufo bufo was examined under transmission electron microscope. Many remarkable similarities to the frontal organ of other Amphibia Anura are observed. It originates from a diverticulum in the dorsal region of the neural tube. It is egg-shaped, has an eccentric lumen, and is made up of three kinds of cells: 1) photoreceptors, which protrude into the lumen; 2) supportive cells; and 3) ganglion cells, which make synaptic contact with the photoreceptors. Peculiar to Bufo bufo is the melanin-like pigments around the light-sensitive part of the photoreceptors. These pigments may prevent light dispersion. The frontal organ in Bufo bufo starts degenerating during the early premetamorphic stages.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Anatomia Comparata, Università Degli Studi di Perugia, Italia.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Farnesi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tei
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vagnetti
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Di Rosa
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fagotti
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Santarella
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002025:Bufonidae / Q000196:embryology*; D007814:Larva; D010786:Photoreceptor Cells / Q000648:ultrastructure