Cells and Tissues Flashcards
Which germ layer do mesenchymal tissue arise from?
Mesoderm
What tissues are included in the term mesenchymal tissues?
Blood, Lymph, Fat, Cartilage, Muscle, Bone
What are the 2 main components of connective tissue?
Cells and ECM
What makes up the extracellular matrix?
Ground substance containing glycosaminoglycans (structural carbohydrates), glycoproteins and proteins, through this runs collagen fibres (Strength) and elastin fibres (elasticity) also contains percolating tissue fluid
What cells are found within the ECM in connective tissue>
1) Fibroblasts (active during healing, make collagen, elastin and glycosaminoglycans)
2) Adipocytes (Store fat)
3) Immune cells: Macrophages, mast cells (produce vasoactive substances) and Plasma cells
What are mononuclear leucocytes and name one?
No lobed nuclei, include lymphocytes (B and T cells)
What are granulocytes and name some?
Have lobed nuclei and granules in cytoplasm, include neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils
Other than leucocytes what are the other components of blood?
Erythrocytes, platelets, Proteins (including immunoglobulins, albumin and fribrinogen), hormones, nutrients, gases and plasma
What might occur if lymph nodes are removed?
Lymphodema because lymph cannot be removed from tissues
What are the cells found in the ECM (called osteoid) of bone?
1) Osteoblasts: make osteoid
2) Osteocytes: found in mature bone, osteoblasts which have become trapped once bone calcifies and now maintain bone
3) Osteoclasts
What are the cells found in the ECM (called osteoid) of bone?
1) Osteoblasts: make osteoid (collagen fibres are found within it)
2) Osteocytes: found in mature bone, osteoblasts which have become trapped once bone calcifies and now maintain bone
3) Osteoclasts: resorb bone (break it down) in response to stress on bone, growth, calcium status
How is bone formed?
First bone formed by osteoblasts is woven and immature, collagen fibres are random, as immature bone is calcified (initiated by osteoblasts) bone becomes harder and woven bone is replaced by lamellae bone where collagen fibres are in parallel layers
What is compact and cancellous bone?
Compact outer bone, shafts of long bones,
Cancellous (spongy) inner bone, found at end of long bones
What is periosteum and endosteum?
Periosteum = dense fibrous layer on outside of bone Endiosteum = tissue lining inner bone
What are the functions of cartilage?
1) form a supporting framework for organs
2) form articulating surfaces for bone
3) form a template for development and growth of long bones
What are the constituents of cartilage?
1) ECM made up of ground substance and collagen fibres
2) Cells including chondroblasts (make ECM and collagen fibres) and chondrocytes (mature chondroblasts trapped in collagen)
What are the 3 types of cartilage and where are they found?
1) Hyaline: glossy, nose trachea
2) Fibrocartilage: intervertebral discs, pubic symphysis
3) Elastic cartilage: found in ears
What is Marfan’s syndrome?
Defect in fibrillin protein, joint laxity, cataracts, valvular heart disease, aortic wall weak
What is scurvy?
connective tissue disorder that results from ascorbic acid deficiency
What role does histology have in medicine?
Diagnosis of cancer and many non malignant diseases, identifying prognostic features, therapeutic information can be gained from histology and special stains can identify the presence of drug targets within tissues
In histology what is the purpose of fixation?
Prevent degradation of tissues either by bacteria, autolytic enzymes or trauma, heat or chemicals may be used, achieved by forming covalent bonds within proteins or venturing proteins
What is formalin?
Most common Fixative in histology, forms covalent bonds between proteins
In histology what are the pros and cons of formalin?
Reliable, penetrates tissue well but its toxic/an irritant and not good for cytoplasmic structures but good for overall morphology
In histology what are the pros and cons of the Fixative glutaraldehyde?
Good for cytoplasmic structures and used for electron microscopy but doesn’t penetrate tissue well so only small pieces can be fixed
In histology what are the pros and cons of the Fixative ethanol?
Good nuclei acid preservation but useless for morphology
In histology what are the pros and cons of fixing with freezing?
Good for nucleic acids and proteins, morphology isn’t great and need a large freezer
In histology what is block selection?
Selecting blocks of interest, specimen is cut using bread slicing and cross sections examined, small blocks of interest are then cut out and placed in a cassette
In histology how are blocks of interest processed into wax?
Impregnation of tissue in wax gives the tissue sufficient rigidity for sectioning, wax is not water or formation soluble but is soluble in xylene (benzene based hydrocarbon which is missable with alcohol). Cassettes soaked in alcohol, then xylene, then melted wax then cooled and allowed to set
In histology what is sectioning?
Solid wax block is cut into 5 micron sections which are picked up on glass slides
In histology why do sections need to be stained?
Until stained sections are translucent and nothing could be seen down a microscope so contrast must be added
What is the common histochemical stain H and E?
Haemotoxylin and Rosin. H is basic and stains acidic material purple eg. Nuclei acids. E is acid so stains basic material pink eg. Cytoplasmic proteins.
In histology what are the pros and cons of the histochemical stain H and E?
Good robust stain for demonstrating overall anatomy but certain things eg. Fat aren’t stained and you can’t tell the difference between 2 basic things
In histology what are the pros and cons of the histochemical stain H and E?
Good robust stain for demonstrating overall anatomy but certain things eg. Fat aren’t stained and you can’t tell the difference between 2 basic things
What is masons trichrome and what is it used to stain?
Connective tissue stain, haematoxylin, acid fuschin and methyl blue, highlights collagen so is useful to highlight how much fibrosis there is within a section
In histology what is Periodic Acid-Schiff (Disease) stain and what is it used for?
Stains mucin but also stains glycogen so diastase enzyme is used first to get rid of glycogen - some tumours characterised by the presence of mucin in their cytoplasm so PAS-D is used to highlight this, it also highlights fungi
In histology what is Perl’s Prussian blue used for?
Histochemical stain used to highlight iron
In histology what is Orcein stain used for?
Histochemical stain used in liver pathology (highlights elastic fibres, hep B virus and copper associated protein)
In histology what is Oil Red ‘O’ used for?
Histochemical stain used to stain fat
What is immunohistochemistry?
The use of anti bodies to highlight specific molecules within a cell (immunohistochemical stains)
What is the rough process used in immunohistochemistry?
1) Isolate Ag
2) Ag given to rabbit which forms an Ab against it
3) Ab applied to section and binds to Ag if present
4) Second Ab to rabbit Ab is added which has a label attached which is visible by light microscopy
What is the rough process used in immunohistochemistry?
1) Isolate Ag
2) Ag given to rabbit which forms an Ab against it
3) Ab applied to section and binds to Ag if present
4) Second Ab to rabbit Ab is added which has a label attached which is visible by light microscopy
What embryological germ layers are epithelia derived from?
All 3 germ layers but there are subtle differences in the epithelial derived from the ectoderm (skin), mesoderm (vascular endothelium) and endoderm (GI tract)
What are the main characteristics of epithelial?
1) Polar (have a top and a bottom, a feature essential to their secretory and absorptive functions)
2) Avascular (although they are innervated) and rely on diffusion from underlying capillary beds
3) Remarkable regenerative ability, proliferate more than other tissues and can promptly replace surface cells lost through apoptosis, natural shredding or injury
What are the 5 main functions of epithelial?
1) Physical protection
2) Control of transcellular transport
3) Movement
4) Sensation
5) Secretion
How is epithelia adapted to the function of physical protection?
Provide a continuous covering of body surface
Can be multi-layered or keratinised to provide extra strength
If a monolayer, highly replicative to replace sloughed/injured cells
Impermeable to prevent toxin reabsorption
What are the 5 main types of attachments/junctions between epithelial cells?
1) Tight junctions
2) Adherents junctions
3) Gap junctions
4) Desmosomes
5) Hemi Desmosomes/focal adhesion