• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.122-132
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• 1988

Ultrastructure of the cutaneous granular glands and production of their secretory granules in the water toad, Bufo steinegeri Schmidt, are studied with light and electron microscopes. Cutaneous granular glands of the water toad have gland cavity in dermis and gland duct in epidermis. Each gland cavity of the granular glands is consisted of 3 types of cells which are inner glandular epithelial cells, outermost myoepithelial cells and another kind of epithelial cells near the gland duct. Characteristically, cytoplasms of the glandular epitelial cells appeared multinucleated masses without differentiation into cells. Poisonous secretory graules excreated by the merocrine secretion are basicafly composed of 2 kinds of granules which are electron dense granules and electron lucent granules. These granules are fused each other and forming compounded structures. According to the granular size and differentiated levels, they are subdivided into 4 types of granules. Synthesis of these secretory granules is occurred at the smooth endoplasmic reticulums of the glandular epithelial cells and limiting membranes of these granules are also originated from these cell organelles.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.107-119
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• 1989

The histochemical characteristics of the cutaneous granular glands and its fine structure of the Korean fire bellied toad, Bombino orientalis Boulenger the only species inhabitated in Korea, were studied with light and electron microscopes. By the granular size and histochemical properties, the granular glands were subdivided into two types. The type I glands have small secretory granules (3.6 $\mu$ m), whereas the type II glands contain relatively larger granules (7.5 $\mu$ m). These two types of glands were simple alveolar gland, and they were commonly composed of inner glandular epithelial cells and outermost myoepithelial cells. By the histochemical reactions, these two secretory granules were not responsed to Alcian blue, but weakly positive reaction was observed in type I granular glands by the PAS reaction. And by the scanning electron microscopic observation, extemal morphology of the opening site of the gland duct was resembled to the stomata of the plant leaves. Especially the epithelial cells of the type I glands had fine reticular surface whereas, type II glands had large vesicular surface. These types of the glands conimonly had larger cavities than those of mucous glands, and forming the multinucleated unicellulr structure (syncytium) at the glandular epithelial layers. Secretory granules of these glands were originated from the rough endoplasmic reticulum of the glandular epithelial cells, and by the maturation level of the granule, morphological diversities appeared.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.103-114
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• 1979

The authors observed the ultrastructure of the granular glands in the amphibian skin with an electron microscope. The specimens from the experimental animals (Bombina orientalis, Bufo bufo gargarizans, Rana nigromaculata and Rana rugosa) were fixed in 2.5% glutaraldehyde-paraformaldehyde fixative in phosphate buffer at pH 7.2 prior to fixation in 1% osmium tetroxide, dehydrated in graded ethanol and acetone, embedded in Epon 812 mixture, and sectioned with a LKB-ultramicrotome. the ultrathin sections were contrasted with uranyl acetate and lead citrate and observed with a JEOL-100B electron microscope. The results were as follws: 1. The granular gland in the amphibian skin consisted of the glandular epithelial and the myoepithelial cells. 2. The epithelial cells of the granular gland in the amphibian skin consisted of the dark cells but the light cells were also observed in that of Bombina orientalis. 3. The granular glands of the amphibian skin were in holocrine fashion. 4. The nuclei of the epithelial cells of the amphibian cutaneous granular glands were round or oval and showed small and large inforldings of nuclear envelope. Heterochromatins were mainly distributed near the nuclear envelope. Mitochondria were mainly distributed in the perinuclear portion and rough-surfaced endoplasmic reticulums were developed in the cytoplasm but smooth-surfaced endoplasmic reticulums were not well developed. 5. Secretory granules were round or oval and electron-dense and less electron-dense granules were observed. 6. The authors infer that the differences in electron density of the secretory granules in the granular glands of the amphibian skin are due to difference in the concentrations of secretory substances as related to the processes of its formation, and that those chemical components are identical.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.219-228
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• 1980

The ultrastructures of the granular glands in the asiatic land salamander (Hynobius leechi) skin were observed by means of electron microsope The results were as follows; 1. The granular gland of the asiatic land salamander skin consisted of a body of gland and a duct. The body of the granular gland consisted of the glandular epithelial cells and the myoepithelial cells. The duct of the granular gland consisted of the keratinocytes. 2. The glandular epithelial cells in the asiatic land salamander skin were divided into the dark cell and the light cells in accordance with the electron density of the cytoplasm. 3. The secretory granules of the granular glands were round or oval in form and were divided into the various granules, showing the secretory granules showing weak electron density had the parts showing strong electron density near the granular membrane. 4. It is supposed that showing the different electron densities of the granules in a glandular epithelial cell is due to different mature stages and to different level of water absorption, and the chemical components of the granules showing different electron densities are identical.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.29-39
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• 1978

The authors observed the ultrastructure of the mucous glandular epithelial cells in the amphibian skin by mean of electron microscope. The specimens from the experimental animals were fixed in 2.5% glutaraldehyde-oaraformaldehyde fixative in phosphate buffer at pH 7.2 prior to fixation in 1% osmium tetroxide, dehydrated in graded ethanol and acetone, embedded in Epon 812 mixture, and sectioned with Sorvall MT-2 ultramicrotome. The ultrasections were contrasted with uranyl acetate and lead citrate and observed with a JEOL-100B electron microscope. The results were as follows: 1. The cutaneous mucous glands in amphibia consisted of the glandular epithelial and the myoepithelial cells. 2. Several different cells in ultrastructure were observed in the mucous glandular epithelium of the adult amphibian skin. a. The dark and the light cells were observed in Hynobius leechi. b. The mitochondria-rich and the round secretory granule-containing cells were observed in Bombina orientalis. c. The round secretory granule-containing and the foam-like granule mass-containing cells were observed in Kaloula tornieri. d. The cutaneous mucous gland of Rana nigromaculata were divided into two types: A and B-type glands. In the A-type mucous gland, the mitochondria-rich and the round secretory granule-containing cells and in the B-type mucous gland, the mitochondria-rich, the secretory granule-containing and the ER-rich cells were observed. 3. Based upon the above findings, the authors infer that the mucous granular epithelium of the amphibian skin consists of the mitochondria-rich undifferentiated, the secetory granule-containing and mature, and the ER-rich evacuated cells.