Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Isolation of Giant Lampbrush Chromosomes from Living Oocytes of Frogs and Salamanders
Published on: December 5, 2016
Larger Common River Frogs (Amietia delalandii) have Fewer and Shorter Tissue Microplastic Fibres than Smaller Frogs
Mari Burger1, Hindrik Bouwman2, Louis H du Preez1,3
1Research Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.
Abstract:
Little is known about microplastics (MPs) in adult frogs. We investigated MPs in adult Common River Frogs (Amietia delalandii) from Potchefstroom, South Africa. Five kinds of samples were analysed: natural water, water used to rinse the skin, skin, intestine, and the remainder of the body (corpus). Tissues were digested. Microplastics occurred in all frogs and sample types (1128 MPs counted). Fibres were the most prevalent MP. Fibre lengths were between 28 and 4300 μm, either polyester or polyvinyl alcohol. MPs in skin were likely derived from the ambient, and MPs in the corpus from translocation via the skin. Fibres in tissues were significantly shorter in larger frogs, a phenomenon we provisionally assign to in situ biodegradation. Microplastics in frogs can potentially be transferred through the food web to higher trophic levels. This study provides the first evidence of MPs in adult frog tissues and avenues for further investigations.
More Related Videos
05:31Sampling, Sorting, and Characterizing Microplastics in Aquatic Environments with High Suspended Sediment Loads and Large Floating Debris
Published on: July 28, 2018
08:11Ecotoxicological Effects of Microplastics on Bird Embryo Development by Hatching without Eggshell
Published on: August 14, 2021
Related Concept Videos
Types of Selection
Lampbrush Chromosomes
LBCs are made up of two pairs of conjugating homologous chromatids. Each chromatid consists of alternatively positioned regions of condensed-inactive chromatin and loosely placed-active side loops, which can be contracted and extended. The loops resemble the...
Red Algae
Green Algae
Other Algae
Freshwater Microbial Ecology