MORPHOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE TESTES OF Physalaemus cuvieri (AMPHIBIA, ANURA)

in general, the testes in the anurans are paired ovoid organs, constituted by a mass of seminiferous structures surrounded by a layer of fibrous connective tissue, which holds a germ epithelium with characteristic cellular types. this study describes the testicular histological architecture and anatomy, as well as the organization and morphology of germ cells. five male samples, from the botucatu area (s？o paulo state, brazil), of physalaemus cuvieri (leptodactylidae) were used. after macroscopic analyses and obtainment of the testicular fragments, the material was submitted to the histological routine to inclusion in paraffin and coloration with haematoxylin/eosin. a rare peculiarity is the presence of numerous pigment-containing cells randomly distributed in the albuginea tunic and testicular interstitium, giving the testis a dark brown coloration. in the germ tissue the spermatogonia i are biggest spermatogenetic cells. with the cellular differentiation and proliferation, succeded the other cellular types (spermatogonia ii, spermatocytes i and ii, spermatids i and ii, and spermatooza) with a cystic organization, that is, groups of cells associated with sertoli cells, forming the spermatogenetic cysts or spermatocysts. the spermatogenetic lineage cells were differentiated and identified according to the cellular and cystic morphology.