Dielectric properties of frog tissues in vivo and in vitro

The relative permittivity and conductivity of blood, physiological saline, abdominal skin, skeletal muscle and heart of the bullfrog Rana Catesbeiana were measured at frequencies between 200 MHz and 8 GHz both in vivo and in vitro using an open-ended coaxial line probe in conjunction with an automatic network analyser. The results, when compared to published data on the dielectric properties of various tissues of the same and other species, indicate that: (i) the relative permittivity of frog skeletal muscle is similar to that of other species, except for the barnacle; (ii) the dielectric properties of frog heart are within the same range as for other species; (iii) differences exist between values obtained for heart in vivo and in vitro; and (iv) the dielectric properties of frog skin and blood compare well with those of human skin and blood.