[Quantitative aspects of ciliary apparatus motility of fungiform papillae]

The present research is intended to evaluate the frequency of the ciliary beat in different formations of the frog's oral cavity. The phenomenon has been quantitatively evaluated on the television images of mucus-ciliary waves by means of a photometric method, in order to obtain an electrical indication of the beat frequency. The results show that frequency of the ciliary beat is not uniform in all formations examinated. Differences in the beat frequency were evidenced in the single coronae ciliatae, further the frequencies of the beat decreases sistematically from the base to the tip of the tongue. The cilia on the lingual edge and on the palat exhibit a similar behaviour. The uniformity of the ciliary behaviour in the whole oral cavity is stressed and the factors contributing to a particular ciliary frequency in the fungiform papillae are discussed.