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Journal of Experimental Biology 154,67-80 (1990)
Published by Company of Biologists 1990

Effect of Boundary Layers on Cutaneous Gas Exchange

ALAN W. PINDER ¹ and MARTIN E. FEDER ²

¹ Anatomy Department, University of Chicago, 1025 E. 57 Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Biology Department, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4J1, Canada
² Anatomy Department, University of Chicago, 1025 E. 57 Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA

Boundary layers may offer significant resistance to cutaneous oxygen uptake by amphibians in water. This hypothesis was tested by measuring resistance to oxygen uptake as a function of water velocity in bullfrogs submerged at 5 °C and by direct measurements of the boundary layer with oxygen microelectrodes. The oxygen diffusion boundary layer was easily measurable with oxygen microelectrodes. The proportion of the total resistance to oxygen uptake represented by the boundary layer increased from 35 % at a water velocity of 5 cms^-1 1 to over 90% at 0.1 cms^-1. At water velocities below lcms^-1 oxygen uptake was limited by the resistance of the boundary layer. At 0.1 cms^-1, the partial pressure of oxygen immediately adjacent to the skin was only 2 kPa (15 mmHg); placing an immobilized frog in still water was tantamount to placing it in anoxic water. Body movements disrupted boundary layers efficiently; even occasional small movements by the animal (1 min^-1) were sufficient to maintainoxygen uptake in still water.

Key words: boundary layer, oxygen uptake, amphibian, Rana catesbeiana

Accepted on June 18, 1990

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