Hydrostatic Balancing Mechanism of Xenopus Larvae
- 1 October 1959
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Acoustical Society of America (ASA) in The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
- Vol. 31 (10) , 1340-1347
- https://doi.org/10.1121/1.1907632
Abstract
Experiments are described which show that larvae of the South African clawed toad Xenopus possess a reflex mechanism which enables them to maintain a stable position in the water, independent of hydrostatic pressure. From observations on the behavior of the animals and recordings from the saccular macula of the ear, the conclusion is drawn that the lung of the animal generates an alternating signal, which is frequency modulated by the hydrostatic pressure. This signal is transmitted to the ear, and is utilized to maintain balance. A conceptual model for the reflex is proposed.This publication has 3 references indexed in Scilit:
- Observations on Models of the Basilar Papilla of the Frog's EarThe Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 1957
- Bau und Funktionen der Seitenorgane und des Ohrlabyrinths bei FischenCellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 1952
- The development and morphology of the larva of the South African clawed toad, Xenopus laevis. I. The third‐form tadpoleJournal of Morphology, 1945