STRUCTURE AND PHYSIOLOGICAL-PROPERTIES OF THE TASTE ORGANS ON THE VENTRAL SIDE OF FROG TONGUE (RANA-CATESBEIANA)

The structure and physiological properties of the non-papillary taste organs on the ventral side of frog tongue were examined. The taste org ans were distributed around the hyoglossal muscle of the tongue. The t otal number of organs was estimated as about 100. The fine structure o f the taste organs was similar to that of the fungiform papilla. Neura l responses recorded from the glossopharyngeal nerve by applying chemi cal stimuli to the ventral side of the tongue were noticeably smaller than those to the dorsal side of the tongue. The taste cells on the ve ntral side of the tongue generated receptor potentials to various chem ical stimuli like those on the dorsal side of the tongue.