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The influence of lipids in the epidermis and cocoons on cutaneous water loss in Australian hylid frogs, Cyclorana spp

Sadowski, Leslie M.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1273708738

Abstract Details

2010, Master of Science, Ohio State University, Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology.
It is important for the survival of terrestrial animals to minimize water loss through the skin, and in amphibians that live in environments that experience annual droughts this is particularly true. One genus of Australian hylid frogs, Cyclorana, prevents desiccation by forming cocoons comprised of alternating shed skin and mucous secretion layers. It is inconclusive whether proteins or lipids are critical in the reduction of cutaneous water loss (CWL) when Cyclorana spp. are within cocoons. In this study, we measured CWL and lipids of five species of Cyclorana and compared differences between cocoons and epidermis of each individual. We found, as expected, that CWL was significantly lower in frogs within cocoons than in frogs without cocoons. Surface specific CWL for the three small species was significantly higher than that of the two larger species of Cyclorana, but this difference was not apparent in frogs within cocoons. We hypothesized that cocoons would contain more polar lipids than epidermis. Although lipids were responsible for more of the dry mass of the epidermis, approximately 20%, than of the cocoons, approximately 7%, we found that cerebrosides and ceramides, two polar lipid classes, were almost exclusively found in cocoons. Thus suggests that mucous secretions provide a source of lipid classes that are not present in the epidermis.
Joseph B. Williams, Ph.D. (Advisor)
Thomas E. Hetherington, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
W. Mitch Masters, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
48 p.
Anatomy and Physiology; Ecology; Zoology
Cutaneous water loss; lipids; Cyclorana

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Sadowski, L. M. (2010). The influence of lipids in the epidermis and cocoons on cutaneous water loss in Australian hylid frogs, Cyclorana spp [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1273708738

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Sadowski, Leslie. The influence of lipids in the epidermis and cocoons on cutaneous water loss in Australian hylid frogs, Cyclorana spp. 2010. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1273708738.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Sadowski, Leslie. "The influence of lipids in the epidermis and cocoons on cutaneous water loss in Australian hylid frogs, Cyclorana spp." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1273708738

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1273708738
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.