MECHANICAL-PROPERTIES OF THE SKIN OF XENOPUS-LAEVIS (ANURA, AMPHIBIA)

The skin of the aquatic pipid frog, Xenopus laevis, was examined for specific biomechanical features: 1) thickness, 2) maximal strain at break (epsilon(f)), 3) tensile strength (sigma(m)), 4) modulus of elasticity (E, stiffness), and 5) the area under the stress-strain curve (W) (breaking energy, toughness). Skin freshly removed from dorsal, ventral, and lateral areas of the body was subjected to uniaxial tension. In both sexes, the dorsal skin is thicker than the ventral. The skin of male frogs was consistently thinner in all body regions than that of females. Most biomechanical parameters showed a considerable range of values in both males (epsilon(f) = 59-63%, sigma(m) = 15-16.5 MPa, E = 33.5-38.4 MPa, W = 3.8-4.5 MJ/m(3)) and females (epsilon(f) = 102-126%, sigma(m) = 11.5 MPa, E = 10.4-12 MPa, W = 5.2-6.7 MJ/m(3)). The disparate epsilon(f) values in males (low) and females (high) might reflect sexual dimorphism. Static stress-strain curves were typically J-shaped; with the exception of a ''toe,'' the curves rose approximately linearly with increasing strain. The skin of X, laevis, although heterogeneous in structure, possesses features similar to those found in tissues with aligned collagen fibers such as tendons or fish skin. However, in anurans, the skin seems to play a more passive mechanical role during locomotion than in fish. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.