Histology lab
Introduction to Histology
Introduction
Histology is the microscopic study of cells and tissues of organisms. This study is important in the overall understanding of anatomy and physiology of organisms. It helps to understand the structures and functions of various tissues that make up bodily organs and systems (Wendy Wright, 2014).
The cell theory states that a cell is the fundamental biological unit. All living organisms are composed of one or more cells, and every bodily activity that takes place in a living organism is ultimately related to metabolic activities occurring in their cells. In multicellular organisms, cells form tissues. The four primary tissue types are epithelium, connective tissue, muscle tissue and neural tissue (Wendy Wright, 2014).
Given the fundamental role played by cells in the organisation of life, it is crucial to understand the structure and function of the cell. However cells cannot be studied without the aid of a microscope. Microscopes are designed to view objects that are too small to see with naked eyes. The different kinds of microscopes include; phase-contrast, dark-field, polarizing and UV. Each of these microscopes differs in the source and manner in which the light is passed through the specimen to be viewed. The microscopes that are usually used in biology labs are compound binocular or monocular light microscopes. Compound microscopes have a minimum of two magnifying lenses (ocular and objective). Binocular microscopes have two eyepieces while the monocular ones have one eyepiece.
The ocular lens of a compound light microscope usually has a magnification of 10x (means that the specimen to be viewed is magnified 10 times). The objective lens consists of a revolving nose piece with different degrees of magnification. The objective lens with the magnification of 10x is called ‘the low power’ while the one with 40x is called ‘the high power’. Total magnification of any specimen viewed is calculated by multiplying
Introduction
Histology is the microscopic study of cells and tissues of organisms. This study is important in the overall understanding of anatomy and physiology of organisms. It helps to understand the structures and functions of various tissues that make up bodily organs and systems (Wendy Wright, 2014).
The cell theory states that a cell is the fundamental biological unit. All living organisms are composed of one or more cells, and every bodily activity that takes place in a living organism is ultimately related to metabolic activities occurring in their cells. In multicellular organisms, cells form tissues. The four primary tissue types are epithelium, connective tissue, muscle tissue and neural tissue (Wendy Wright, 2014).
Given the fundamental role played by cells in the organisation of life, it is crucial to understand the structure and function of the cell. However cells cannot be studied without the aid of a microscope. Microscopes are designed to view objects that are too small to see with naked eyes. The different kinds of microscopes include; phase-contrast, dark-field, polarizing and UV. Each of these microscopes differs in the source and manner in which the light is passed through the specimen to be viewed. The microscopes that are usually used in biology labs are compound binocular or monocular light microscopes. Compound microscopes have a minimum of two magnifying lenses (ocular and objective). Binocular microscopes have two eyepieces while the monocular ones have one eyepiece.
The ocular lens of a compound light microscope usually has a magnification of 10x (means that the specimen to be viewed is magnified 10 times). The objective lens consists of a revolving nose piece with different degrees of magnification. The objective lens with the magnification of 10x is called ‘the low power’ while the one with 40x is called ‘the high power’. Total magnification of any specimen viewed is calculated by multiplying