Alternatives Database

Frog Skin

An interactive menu-driven program which simulates experiments performed on the frog skin preparation to teach the principles of ions transport across epithelia. Background information describing the method, apparatus and physiological basis of the experiment is presented as text supported by high-resolution graphics. Then the user can investigate either passive or active transport in the presence or absence of certain drugs and generates data based upon accepted mathematical models. In the passive transport experiment, the user may alter the mucosal and serosal concentrations of sodium and potassium and can take measurements from a simulated voltmeter. In the active transport experiment ion flux may be calculated from measurements taken using either a short circuit current technique or a radioactive tracer one. Results are presented in an attractive display from which measurements may be taken.

Medium: 3.5" disk; CD-ROM System requirements: MS-DOS Price: £120.00 (departmental multiuser/network licence; includes documentation - program manual and, where appropriate, student’s workbook and tutor’s notes - and postage)