The Nikon MicroscopyU confocal microscopy image gallery was created with a PCM-2000 confocal scanning system interfaced to a Nikon Eclipse E600 upright microscope. Images were recorded in successive z-axis serial sections with C-Imaging Systems software with excitation illumination provided by an argon-ion and/or a helium-neon laser.

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Frogs depend on several types of muscles to carry out their normal daily activities such as pumping blood, breathing, moving about, and retrieving food. The three types of muscle are striated (skeletal), cardiac (heart), and smooth. Skeletal muscles, such as those that enable a frog to leap long distances, are comprised of narrow and wide elongated fibers. As the name implies, the tissue displays striped or striated patterns when observed under a microscope. Bundled together in cords, these muscles are connected to the bones by tendons. Striated tissue cells are among the largest cells in the body.

Muscles that are associated with autonomic or involuntary systems are called smooth muscles and include tissues that comprise the digestive system, the blood vessels, and many of the internal organs. Smooth muscle cells are typically smaller than striated cells. Cardiac or heart muscle is a highly specialized muscle that has an appearance similar to striated muscle but functions involuntarily as does smooth muscle.