Physiological Preparation of Hair Cells from the Sacculus of the American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)

The American bullfrog's (Rana catesbeiana) sacculus permits direct examination of hair-cell physiology. Here the dissection and preparation of the bullfrog's sacculus for biophysical studies is described. We show representative experiments from these hair cells, including the calculation of a bundle's force-displacement relation and measurement of its unforced motion.