Introduction To Histology

Introduction To Histology
DEFINITION OF THE FIELD OF STUDY Histology is the study of tissue biology: the study of structure and function of each tissue type, how those tissues are combined to form the organs and systems of the body, and how those combinations function together. Tissues are groups of cells with similar structural and functional characteristics that function collectively within the multicellular organism. The same 4 basic tissue types are found in all but the simplest of multicellular animals: nerve, muscle, connective tissue, epithelium.

 The basic subtypes of all tissue The basic subtypes of all tissue types are found throughout most vertebrates, and are combined in the same ways to form organs.

II. TISSUE TYPES

1. MUSCLE: electrically excitable tissue which contracts in response to specific stimuli (such as signals from nerve tissue), and moves tissues to which it is attached. Muscle has 3 major subtypes distributed in distinct organs: Skeletal muscle forms the major tissue component of skeletal muscle "organs"/system; its contraction shortens muscles, pulling skeletal elements to which they are attached closer together Cardiac muscle forms the major tissue component of the heart; its contraction narrows the cavities of the

Smooth muscle: tissue component in walls of many internal organs: visceral organs such as digestive tract & vasculature or blood vessels; its contraction reduces the size of internal cavities of the structure or organ

2-

NERVE

electrically excitable tissue which receives stimuli, processes them, and transmits signals to target tissues to integrate the functions of the whole body. Nerve tissue has 2 major cellular components: neurons (nerve cells) and glia (support cells) Nerve tissues form the major anatomic components of the nervous system: central nervous system (brain & spinal cord) and peripheral nervous system (ganglia and periphral nerves) Major target tissues: muscle tissues and other

3.

EPITHELIUM

tissue organized as attached sheets of cells which line or cover all organ and body cavities and form tubular structures within many organs. Functions include separation/protection, absorption, and secretion. Separate contents of cavities from other organ tissues Regulate whether (and what) moves across the epithelium Epithelium has many subtypes; characteristic of specific organ systems Epithelia form the major tissue component of

4. CONNECTIVE TISSUES: Tissues which provide structural and metabolic support.

Connective tissue contains few cells separated by extracellular matrix molecules secreted by those cells Connective tissue has several subtypes: General connective tissue: binds the other tissues together within organs, and binds organs together Matrix provides scaffolding and support for blood vessels, nerves and diffusing molecules to penetrate Specialized connective tissues: cartilage and bone: provide structural support Blood cells (red, white): provide metabolic support and defense against infection

II. CELL BIOLOGY FEATURES RELEVANT TO HISTOLOGY

1. CELL CHARACTERISTICS VISIBLE WITH THE LIGHT MICROSCOPE: Cell & nuclear morphology (= shape & size); nuclear number & location within cell; euchromatin/heterochormatin Cell membrane surface projections (cilia, microvilli) Cytoskeleton visible only in muscle sarcomeres, or with special stains (heavy metals in nerve cells) Molecular types can be localized to whole cells/nuclei with specific labelled probes Tissue architecture = organization of multiple tissues within organs, and varying amounts of those tissues LM best for identifying/understanding variations in cell organization/extracellular matrix spacing within tissues

2. STRUCTURE & FUNCTION OF BASIC CELLULAR COMPONENTS:

ORGANELLES
Endoplasmic reticulum: differences between smooth (SER) and rough (RER) in function & role of ribosomes Golgi apparatus & derived vesicles: lysosomes, secretory vesicles Mitochondria: can differ dramatically in shape in different cell types Nucleus, nucleolus; euchromatin vs. heterochromatin MEMBRANES Structural organization of phospholipid bilayer; roles of protein/glycoprotein components Differences in lipid appearance in tissues prepared for EM (lipids retained and appear dark) and LM (usually not retained and not stained)

CYTOSKELETON: protein filaments form

cytoplasmic framework that perform many functions Types: each formed of different protein types: Thin filaments/microfilaments (actin) interact with thick filaments ("motor" protein myosin): cause contraction, movement, cell shape change; specialized forms in muscle Microtubules: (tubulin); interact with "motor" proteins (kinesin, dynein) to transport vesicles, anchor cell structures Also form specialized structures: centrioles, mitotic spindles, core of cilia

CELL-CELL JUNCTIONS:
most found between cells of several tissues Adherens junctions: desmosomes and fascia adherens: anchor cell membranes to cytoskeletal filaments Gap junctions: communication between cells Tight junctions: seal membranes together; unique to epithelia

EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX
components and functions Variations key to several tissues' characteristics: bone and cartilage Basement membrane/basal lamina made by epithelial cells

Comparison of light and electron microscopy: Differences in methods of image creation; resolution; scales of magnification capacities Types of EM: Transmission EM (TEM), Scanning EM (SEM), Freeze-fracture EM Tissue preparation: Steps: Fixation -> dehydration -> infiltration with embedding medium -> Sectioning Staining/labeling of tissues: LM: Standard stain (dye) = H & E (Hematoylin & Eosin); Specialized stains include trichrome stains; metals Molecule-specific detection methods: enzyme histochemistry; immunohistochemistry EM: Standard: heavy metals (osmium tetroxide) create differences in electron-density Specialized immunohistochemistry/enzyme

3. MICROSCOPY BASICS