Histology of Cells and Epithelia

Learning Objectives

• Given a histological image of a cell, students should be able to identify the nucleus, nucleolus, heterochromatin, rough endoplasmic reticulum, cytoplasm, secretory granules.
• Students should be able to estimate the size of a cell using a red blood cell as a ruler.
• Students should be able to infer the activity of cells based on the prominence of certain organelles.
• Students should be able to distinguish between tissues with high and low numbers of cells.
• Given a histological image, students should be able to identify cells undergoing mitosis.
• Given a histological image, students should be able to classify epithelia based on the shape and number of cell layers and any surface specializations.
• Students should be able to describe how the organization, thickness, surface specializations, and turnover of an epithelium reflect its function.
• Students should be able to explain how changes in environment can lead to changes in the type of epithelium.