1.1 Tissue Architecture and Organisation Flashcards
Longitudinal section
A section that is cut along the long axis of a structure.
Transverse section
A section that is cut perpendicular to the longest axis of a structure.
Oblique section
A cut that is at any angle between the longitudinal and transverse planes.
Dyes of histology (most common)
Haematoxylin - stains nuclei (nucleic acid) blue/purple
Eosin - stains cytoplasm (proteins) pink
Tissue types (5)
blood
epithelial tissue
supporting/connective tissue
muscle
nervous tissue
The blood
cell types
Leukocytes- white blood cells, defence against infection
Erythrocytes - red blood cells, oxygen transport
Thrombocytes - platelets (cellular fragments), clotting factor
Types of epithelium
Simple squamous
simple cuboidal
simple columnar
stratified squamous
stratified cuboidal
pseudostratified columnar
transitional
Simple epithelium (e.g.)
A single layer of cells, can be found in:
gut epithelium
epidermis of skin
endothelium
Types of muscle
skeletal/striated
cardiac
smooth
Cardiac muscle
long cylindrical cells
striated
branching
syncytial (cells are discrete but behave as a functional syncitium
divided by intercalated disks
Intercalated disks
Critical in the propagation of action potentials between cardiomyocytes.
They link cells via gap junctions, desmosomes and adherents junctions
Gap junctions
Protein tubes form hydrophilic pores across plasma membrane of adjacent cells for movement of small solutes.
Desmosomes / Adheres junctions
Desmosomes link intermediate fibres
Adherens junctions bind to actin filament
Cytoskeleton componenets (3)
microfilaments
intermediate filaments
microtubules
Microfilaments
made of actin molecules
Intermediate fibres
composed of a range of proteins depending on types
Microtubules
made of tubulin proteins
Structure of venous and arterial blood vessels (3 layers)
Tunica intima
Tunica media
Tunica adventitia
Tunica intima
single layer of simple squamous epithelia
contains perforations within the internal elastic lamina
Tunica media
mainly smooth muscle (produced ECM and IEL)
Tunica Adventitia
ECM (produced by fibroblasts) where nerves, lymphatic vessels, immune cells (macrophages), and progenitor cells are found
Capillaries
Only have tunica intima
Allows movement of cells and molecules
Endothelial cells attach to basement membrane.
Function of tunica intima
Facilitates the unidirectional flow of blood as well as allowing the uninterrupted, smooth flow of blood
Function of the tunica media
Provides architectural support for the vessel and regulates vessel diameter and blood pressure
the thickest layer (usually)
Function of the tunica adventitia
Prevents overexpansion of the blood vessel
Types of capillaries (3)
Continuous - uninterrupted lining, e.g., blood-brain barrier
Discontinuous - openings within (permeable), e.g., liver, spleen, bone marrow
Fenestrated - small pores for passage of molecules, e.g., intestinal villi, kidney glomeruli.
Function of pericyte
controls blood flow via contracting/releasing endothelial cells within vessels
architectual of vessels