The morphology of the toad urinary bladder: A stereoscopic and transmission electron microscopical study

Summary The appearance of the mucosal cell layer of the isolated urinary bladder of the toadBufo marinus, has been examined using stereoscopic and conventional transmission electron microscopy.Three cell types can be identified in surface view, these are granular cells, mitochondriarich cells and goblet cells. Cell boundaries between granular cells are clearly defined by membranous folds along their margins. Although no changes are seen in the stereoscopic electron micrographs when the granular cells are made permeable to water by vasopressin, the changes observed on transmission electron micrographs include swelling of cell bodies and nuclei, filling of intercellular channels with water, and the appearance beneath the mucosal cell membrane surface of electron dense granules.Differences between the appearance of the bladder mucosal cells by the two methods of electron microscopical examination are due largely to water loss when the tissue is freeze dried prior to stereoscopic examination.Grateful thanks are due to Dr. W. D. E. Thomas and Miss Elizabeth Hull of the Long Ashton Research Station for use of the Stereoscan microscope, and also to Dr. John Clamp and Mr. P. J. Summers for help and advice.In receipt of a personal research grant from the Medical Research Council, London.