Intro To Histology Flashcards
What is epithelial tissue?
The epithelium is a tissue composed of cell that line the cavities and surfaces of structures throughout the body and/or form parenchymal organs (i.e. Kidneys, salivary glands etc).
How is covering and lining epithelium classified histologically?
Classified on the basis of:
The number of cell layers (simple has one layer, stratified has multiple layers).
The shape of the cells in the top layer (squamous, cuboidal, columnar, mucinous, serous, neuroendocrine).
The majority of epithelial cells contain cytokeratin intermediate filaments and this can be used to recognise an epithelial phenotype using immunohistochemistry.
What is mesenchymal tissue?
Mesochymal tissue is mesodermal tissue of or pertaining to the mesenchyme.
Mesenchymal tissue includes cartilage (hyaline, elastic, fibrocartilage), bone (compact and cancellous), muscle (smooth, skeletal and cardiac muscle), adipose tissue, connective tissue (supportive functions).
What 4 things should be examined during microscopic assessment of cellular changes?
1) . Cell morphology: including shape and outline of cells, cytoplasmic features, nuclear features and the nucleo-cytoplasmic ratio.
2) . Cellular function and proliferation status.
3) . Cellular architecture and polarisation.
4) . Nature and amount of intracellular material.
