Temperature-dependence of saccular nerve fiber response in the North American bullfrog

Abstract

A clinical microwave device was used to heat and ear of the North American bullfrog in order to observe the temperature dependence of tuning in the sacculus, an organ known to posses the capability of electrical resonance in its hair cells. In tuning curves derived from reverse correlation analysis with noise stimuli, the temperature dependencies of the frequencies of tuning peaks and notches typically exhibited Q 10s less than 1.2; whereas the frequencies of electrical resonances are expected to have Q 10s of the order of 1.7. Therefore we conclude that electrical resonances are not significantly involved in tuning in the bullfrog sacculus.