A Morphological and Histological Study of the Skin in the Bufo viridis Frog in Iraq

Abstract

This research was carried out to identify the layers of the skin of Bufo viridis. Ten adult frogs were used in the study, which was conducted in the histology and embryology laboratory at the College of Education for Pure Science (Ibn Al-Haitham), University of Baghdad. The skin was dissected and fixed in 10% formalin, then dehydrated, cleared, infiltrated, and embedded. The sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. The histological structure of the skin revealed that it is composed of two layers. The epidermis layer is composed of stratified squamous epithelial tissue and consists of three strata: the Corneum, Spinosum, and Germinativum. There are no papillae in the epidermis. The dermis layer is composed of loose connective tissue with blood vessels and consists of two layers: the spongy and compact layers. The spongy tissue consists of alveolar glands, both mucous and granular. The dorsal skin and the dermis consisted of pigment cells. The skin tissue consists of a two-layered structure: the epidermis, composed of stratified squamous epithelium, and the dermis, composed of loose connective tissue. Pigment cells are present in both layers, suggesting that they serve a role as coloration or UV radiation protection.