Intro to histology

Question 1

basement membrane

Answer 1

pliable thin sheet like type of EC matrix, providing cell and tissue support

Question 2

apical cell surface

Answer 2

part of cell facing outside

Question 3

lateral cell surface

Answer 3

sides of cell

Question 4

basal cell surface

Answer 4

in contact with basement membrane/ opposite side to apical cell surface

Question 5

types of simple epithelium

Answer 5

simple squamous; simple cuboidal; simple columnar; pseudostratified

Question 6

types of stratified epithelium

Answer 6

stratified squamous, stratified columnar

Question 7

simple squamous

Answer 7

thin, scale like, flattened; lines diffusion surfaces and comprises endothelium; all cells in contact with basement membrane

Question 8

simple cuboidal

Answer 8

round centrally located nuclei; lines tubules and ducts in excretory, secretory and absorptive processes; all cells in contact with basement membrane

Question 9

simple columnar

Answer 9

tall columnar cells; found in absorptive/ secretory tissues and lines exocrine glands, can be ciliated; all cells in contact with basement membrane

Question 10

pseudostratified

Answer 10

nuclei positioned at diff levels due to tight packing of cells; all cells same height but diff diameters at diff points; all cells in contact with basement membrane

Question 11

stratified squamous

Answer 11

squamous surface layer; basal cells undifferentiated and push up to replace dead cells at top layer which are shed; progressive change in shape from cuboidal to squamous; used for protection (ie skin, lining oesophagus, vagina, oral cavity)

Question 12

stratified columnar/ cuboidal

Answer 12

has two or more layers of similarly sized cells

Question 13

transitional epithelium

Answer 13

specialized to allow large degree of stretch and withstands toxicity of urine; covers surface of bladder, ureters and some of the urethra; 4-5 cell layers thick when unstretched, 2-3 layers in stretched state; shape of cell changes with distension

Question 14

apicobasal polarity

Answer 14

making the proteins on the apical surface different to those on the basolateral surfaces

Question 15

fixation by immersion

Answer 15

immerse specimen in fixative solution, tissue must be rapidly chopped up into small fragments to allow fast penetration of fixative; crushing and mechanical damage unavoidable; blood cells retained in blood vessels

Question 16

fixation by perfusion

Answer 16

fixative pumped in via largest arterial supply; reaches tissue through blood vessels; cells fixed virtually instantaneously; no cell stress but that from fixative; capillary blood volume preserved but blood cells flushed out; white space network produced due to preserved capillary beds

Question 17

immunoflourescence

Answer 17

primary antibodies bind to protein of interest. modified (fluorescent) secondary antibodies bind to primary antibody.