Skip to main content
PMC home page
The Journal of Cell Biology logoLink to The Journal of Cell Biology
. 1963 Jan 1;16(1):53–72. doi: 10.1083/jcb.16.1.53

THE FINE STRUCTURE OF THE URINARY BLADDER OF THE TOAD, BUFO MARINUS

Jae Kwon Choi 1
PMCID: PMC2106180  PMID: 14020969

Abstract

The urinary bladder of the toad (Bufo marinus) was studied with both the light and the electron microscope. The bladder wall consists of epithelium, submucosa, and serosa. In the epithelium, four different cell types were recognized on the basis of their fine structure and staining properties with several different dyes. These four were designated as granular cells, mitochondria-rich cells, mucous cells, and basal cells. In addition, migratory cells of a different type were found in the basal region of the epithelium. The luminal surface of the epithelial cells presents irregular microvilli and is coated by PAS-positive material which has been further investigated by histochemical procedures and radioautography. Included is a description of the fine structural details of cell membranes, cell junctions, and intracellular components. The submucosa consists of a delicate stroma of fibroblasts and collagen fibers and also contains blood and lymph vessels, unmyelinated nerves, migratory cells, and smooth muscle cells. The serosa consists of a single layer of serosal (mesothelial) cells which form an uninterrupted covering of the viscus. Possible pathways of sodium and water transport across the bladder wall are discussed.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (2.0 MB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. BENNETT H. S., LUFT J. H., HAMPTON J. C. Morphological classifications of vertebrate blood capillaries. Am J Physiol. 1959 Feb;196(2):381–390. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1959.196.2.381. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. BENNETT H. S., LUFT J. H. zeta-Collidine as a basis for buffering fixatives. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1959 Aug;6(1):113–114. doi: 10.1083/jcb.6.1.113. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. BENTLEY P. J. The effects of neurohypophysial extracts on the water transfer across the wall of the isolated urinary bladder of the toad Bufo marinus. J Endocrinol. 1958 Sep;17(3):201–209. doi: 10.1677/joe.0.0170201. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. CRABBE J. Stimulation of active sodium transport by the isolated toad bladder with aldosterone in vitro. J Clin Invest. 1961 Nov;40:2103–2110. doi: 10.1172/JCI104436. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. DALTON A. J., ZEIGEL R. F. A simplified method of staining thin sections of biolgical material with lead hydroxide for electron microscopy. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1960 Apr;7:409–410. doi: 10.1083/jcb.7.2.409. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. FRALEY E. E., WEISS L. An electron microscopic study of the lymphatic vessels in the penile skin of the rat. Am J Anat. 1961 Jul;109:85–101. doi: 10.1002/aja.1001090107. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. LEAF A., ANDERSON J., PAGE L. B. Active sodium transport by the isolated toad bladder. J Gen Physiol. 1958 Mar 20;41(4):657–668. doi: 10.1085/jgp.41.4.657. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. LEAF A., PAGE L. B., ANDERSON J. Respiration and active sodium transport of isolated toad bladder. J Biol Chem. 1959 Jun;234(6):1625–1629. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. LUFT J. H. Improvements in epoxy resin embedding methods. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1961 Feb;9:409–414. doi: 10.1083/jcb.9.2.409. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. LUFT J. H. Permanganate; a new fixative for electron microscopy. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1956 Nov 25;2(6):799–802. doi: 10.1083/jcb.2.6.799. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. MOWRY R. W. Improved procedure for the staining of acidic polysaccharides by Müller's colloidal (hydrous) ferric oxide and its combination with the Feulgen and the periodic acid-Schiff reactions. Lab Invest. 1958 Nov-Dec;7(6):566–576. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. MUIR A. R., PETERS A. Quintuple-layered membrane junctions at terminal bars between endothelial cells. J Cell Biol. 1962 Feb;12:443–448. doi: 10.1083/jcb.12.2.443. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. PAK POY R. F., BENTLEY P. J. Fine structure of the epithelial cells of the toad urinary bladder. Exp Cell Res. 1960 Jun;20:235–237. doi: 10.1016/0014-4827(60)90246-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. PALAY S. L., KARLIN L. J. An electron microscopic study of the intestinal villus. II. The pathway of fat absorption. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1959 May 25;5(3):373–384. doi: 10.1083/jcb.5.3.373. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. PEACHEY L. D., RASMUSSEN H. Structure of the toad's urinary bladder as related to its physiology. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1961 Aug;10:529–553. doi: 10.1083/jcb.10.4.529. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. PEASE D. C. Fine structures of the kidney seen by electron microscopy. J Histochem Cytochem. 1955 Jul;3(4):295–308. doi: 10.1177/3.4.295. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. REVEL J. P., NAPOLITANO L., FAWCETT D. W. Identification of glycogen in electron micrographs of thin tissue sections. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1960 Dec;8:575–589. doi: 10.1083/jcb.8.3.575. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. RHODIN J., DALHAMN T. Electron microscopy of the tracheal ciliated mucosa in rat. Z Zellforsch Mikrosk Anat. 1956;44(4):345–412. doi: 10.1007/BF00345847. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. ROBERTSON J. D. New observations on the ultrastructure of the membranes of frog peripheral nerve fibers. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1957 Nov 25;3(6):1043–1048. doi: 10.1083/jcb.3.6.1043. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. ROBERTSON J. D. Structural alterations in nerve fibers produced by hypotonic and hypertonic solutions. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1958 Jul 25;4(4):349–364. doi: 10.1083/jcb.4.4.349. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. SEDAR A. W. Electron microscopy of the oxyntic cell in the gastric glands of the bullfrog (Rana catesbiana). I. The non-acid-secreting gastric mucosa. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1961 Jan;9:1–18. doi: 10.1083/jcb.9.1.1. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. SEDAR A. W. Electron microscopy of the oxyntic cell in the gastric glands of the bullfrog, Rana catesbiana. II. The acid-secreting gastric mucosa. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1961 May;10:47–57. doi: 10.1083/jcb.10.1.47. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. SOTELO J. R., PORTER K. R. An electron microscope study of the rat ovum. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1959 Mar 25;5(2):327–342. doi: 10.1083/jcb.5.2.327. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. WATSON M. L. Staining of tissue sections for electron microscopy with heavy metals. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1958 Jul 25;4(4):475–478. doi: 10.1083/jcb.4.4.475. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. WOOD R. L., HOWARD C. C. Use of fine grain positive sheet film for electron microscopy. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1959 Jan 25;5(1):181–182. doi: 10.1083/jcb.5.1.181. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. YAMADA E. The fine structure of the gall bladder epithelium of the mouse. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1955 Sep 25;1(5):445–458. doi: 10.1083/jcb.1.5.445. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Cell Biology are provided here courtesy of The Rockefeller University Press

RESOURCES