A quantitative light microscopic study of the bullfrog amphibian papilla tectorium: correlation with the tonotopic organization.
The height, width and cross-sectional area of the bullfrog amphibian papilla tectorial membrane were quantitatively analysed from frontal serial sections. The cross-sectional area (which is a measure of mass) of the tectorium does not appear to be linearly graded along the length of the papilla, but rather spatial gradations occur in more or less a step-wise manner. The spatially graded area (or mass) is well correlated with the width of the tectorium and their relationships with the tonotopic organization of the amphibian papilla are discussed.
D000818:Animals; D003051:Cochlea / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010898:Pitch Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D011892:Rana catesbeiana; D013680:Tectorial Membrane / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D000159:Vestibulocochlear Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology