COMPARATIVE ACCOUNT OF THE

INTEGUMENT(SKIN) IN THE SCOLIODON (SHARK

FISH)AND RANA(FROG)
Scoliodon and Rana are poikilothermic animals. Scoliodon is an aquatic cartilage fish. Rana lives
in water and on land-amphibian. In both the vertebrates the skin (integument) is the outermost
covering of the body. It is multicellular and multilayered structure typically formed of an outer
layer of 'epidermis' and an inner layer of 'dermis'. The integument provides a characteristic form
to the body. It also protects the enclosed organs.
The epidermis is derived from the ectoderm and dermis from mesoderm of the embryo. The
epidermis is multilayered and differentiated into stratified epithelium and cornification is not
complete. The cells of stratum corneum are nucleated. The lowermost layer of the epidermis
formed of living columnar cells and is called 'stratum malpighii'or stratlim germinativum.

SCOLIODON-SHARK FISH SKIN V.S IMAGE:

shark fish (scoliodon)-skin

1
FROG SKIN(AMPHIBIAN SKIN )V.S. IMAGE:
Scoliodon (fish)-skin
1. Skin is rough & tough. It is firmly attached 1. Skin is soft, smooth and loose. It is separated
to the underlying muscles.
2. The skin is divided into epidermis and
dermis.
3. The epidermis is composed of many layers
of similar epithelial cells. Stratum corneum is
absent.
4. Unicellular mucous glands are present in
the dermis.
5. Dermis is less vascularised.
6. The skin is protective and sensory in
function.
7 Placoid scales are present.
8 Dermis has no layers,
9. In the dermis chromatophore and iridocytes
are present.
10. In some deep-sea fishes light emiting
photophores are present.
Rana (Frog)-skin
from the underlying muscles by lymph sacs.
2. Same.
3. The epidermis is distinguished into stratum
corneum a^d stratum malpighii.
4.Mucous glands or cutaneous glands
are multicellular and are present in
the dermis.
5. Dermis is richly vascularised.
6. Skin is protective, sensory and respiratory
(Cutaneous respiration) in function.
7. Scales are absent.
8. Dermis has stratum spongiosum & stratum
compactum
9. Chromatophores are found in the upper part of
dermis. These help in changing the colour of
integument.
10 In some frogs (Bufo) poison glands are present
near the tympanum
2
3