Histology - Overview and Staining methods Flashcards
what are the 4 main building blocks of life
- proteins
- lipids
- nucleic acid
- carbohydrates
what is histology
a microscopic study of normal cells and tissues, looking at how structure is related to tissue function, and how disease is associated with disruption of normal cell structure and function
what is pathology
a microscopic study of diseased cells and tissues
what are the 4 main tissue types
epithelial
connective
muscle
nervous
what are the two main methods of microscopy
light microscopy and electron microscopy
what is light microscopy
low resolution microscopy used to view basic cell structure
what is electron microscopy
method for viewing the ultrastructure of the cell
what is the microscopy technique used in routine histology
light microscopy
what are the steps to microscopy
- specimen collection
- fixation
- dehydration
- embedding
- sectioning
- staining
- viewing
why are tissue samples cut into thin sections prior to the microscopy
most tissue samples are too thick to be examined directly under a microscope and must first be cut into very thin sections to enable light or electrons to pass through the tissue and make the structure visible
what are the different technique to specimen collection
- incision or a punch biopsy
- needle biopsy
- endoscopic biopsy
what are incision or punch biospies used for
specimen collection from skin or oral surfaces
what are needle biopsies used for
specimen collection from organs or lumps below the skin. to guide the biopsy, imaging techniques like x rays and mris can be used
what does endoscopic biopsy involve
a flexible tube with light and a camera - cutting tools can be used to collect tissue specimens
where would an endoscopic biopsy be used in the body
- trachea
- bronchus
- lungs
- esophagus
- stomach
- small intestine
- colon and rectum
- mainly bladder
where would a needle biopsy be used
the brain
eye
thyroid
lymph nodes
breast
lung and pleura
liver
kidney
bone and bone marrow
testis
skeletal muscle
what kind of biopsy is used for the heart and the liver
transvascular biopsy
what do cells release as they die
enzymes that degrade components for the tissue
what does fixation do
terminates all biochemical reactions and so prevents the release and activity of degradative enzymes as well as inhibiting microbial growth and so prevents tissue decomposition
what are some common fixatives
formaldehyde and glutaraldehyde
why is fixation important during microscopy
it preserves the structural arrangement betwen cells and extracellular components
is paraffin embedding compatible with water
no
how is water removed from tissues during dehydration
using a series of graded alcohols, done gradually to be prevent distortion
why should water not be removed from the tissue sample in a single step
the tissue would shrink rapidly and the structural arrangement would be distorted
why do tissues require embedding
thin tissue sections are delicate and soft and easily distorted, and must be embedded in a hard substance as support
what are most commonly used to embed tissue samples
resin and paraffin
what are tissue samples submersed in prior to embedding and why
resin and paraffin are not compatible with water or alcohol, so after dehydration the sample is then immersed for a period of time in a strong solvent like xylene to replace the alcohol
how should tissue be cut to be viewed under a microscope
thin and flat, ideally just a single layer of cells
why should tissue samples be cut into thin and flat sections
so they are transparent, as this allows the beam of light or electrons to pass through the tissue to enable visualisation
how are embedded speciments sectioned
using a microtome