A&P Ch. 3 Book Flashcards
Squamous
Thin, flat, scaly shape, often with a bulge where the nucleus is, much like the shape of a fried egg “sunny side up”
Ex: squamous cells line the esophagus
Ex: Form the surface layer (epidermis) of the skin
Cytology
The scientific study of cells.
Cuboidal
Squarish-looking in frontal tissue sections and about equal in height and width.
Ex: Liver cells
Columnar
Distinctly taller than wide.
Ex: lining of the stomach and intestines
Polygonal
Having irregularly angular shapes with four, five, or more sides.
Stellate
Having multiple pointed processes projecting from the body of a cell, giving it a somewhat starlike shape.
Ex: cell bodies of many nerve cells
Spheroidal to Ovoid
Round to oval.
Ex: egg cells and white blood cells
Discoid
Disc-shaped.
Ex: red blood cells
Fusiform
Spindle-shaped; elongated, with a thick middle and tapered ends.
Ex: smooth muscle cells
Fibrous
Long, slender, and threadlike.
Ex: skeletal muscle cells and axons (nerve fibers) of nerve cells.
Micrometer
Most useful unit of measurement for designating cell sizes.
10-6 of a meter
10-3 of a millimeter
Resolution
The ability to reveal detail.
Cytoplasm
The contents of a cell between its plasma membrane and its nuclear envelope, consisting of cytosol, organelles, inclusions, and the cytoskeleton.
Transmission electron microscope (TEM)
A microscope that uses an electron beam in place of light to form high-resolution, two dimensional images of ultra thin slices of cells or tissues.
Scanning electron microscope (SEM)
A microscope that that uses an electron beam in place of light to form high-resolution, three-dimensional images if the surfaces of objects.