Histology department

Faculty of medicine , Helwan university

Who teach lectures :

Staff members :

Head of Department : Assoc prof: Zainab Al Tayeb

Dr: Doaa Khaled Dr: Haitham Soilum

Who teach Practical :

junior staff :
Objectives
- Why you study histology
- Some terminology
- Cell :, size , Types .
- Cell components
- Outline of cell functions through:
- Cell membrane and cell coat, LM , EM study
.Some points on there functions
- Membranous and Non membranous organoids ,
LM , EM study .Some points on there functions.
- Cell inclusions
- Nucleus , LM , EM study .
 Why you study Histology?

- Advances in chemistry, physiology, •

immunology, and pathology
- To interactions among these fields •
- It is essential for a better knowledge of •
tissue biology.
•

- Familiarity with the tools and methods is •

essential for a proper understanding of the
subject.
• Histology :
• It is the branch of science that study
the microscopic structure of Normal
cells, tissues and organs of the Human
body.
From Latin
• histos means tissue
• logos means study of
• So, study of tissues.
 Cell

Tissues

Organs

Systems
There are two parallel ways of Studying histology
1 - Theoretical histology through Lectures
2- Practical histology through laboratory
How I see ?
What I need to see ?

1-prepare section to reach slide by

micro- techniques : They are the different
methods used for preparation of histological
sections on slides
 Staining for light microscopy
Tissues and their components are colorless
Need to be stained
Stains color different components with
different colors

Cytoplasm = Basic
++
Nucleus = acidic --
 haematoxylin and Eosin Stain (H & E)
Is the most commonly used stain in routine
histology examination
H & E gives the best differentiation between tissue
components
1. Hematoxylin (H): Blue Basic stain
Binds to acidic components of the cell e.g nuclei
2. Eosin (E): Pink Acidic stain
Binds to basic components of the cell e.g
cytoplasmic proteins
 The Cell
 It is the structural and

Functional unit of the body.

( from Latin cella, meaning "small room)

Types: there are different types of cells.

Skin cells are different than muscle cells, or bone
cells, or blood cells ….etc..
Shape: A few cells are in spherical, rod, flat, concave,
curved, rectangular, oval , branched and …..etc.
Size : They range from 10µm to 120µm, which
are generally based on the type of function that
it performs.
The largest cell in the human body is mature
female ovum (120µm).
Smallest cell in the human body is male gametes,
that is, sperm.
Studying it needs magnifications and resolution
of details

 So they must be examined under the

microscope.(LM give limited magnifications and EM
which have a higher magnification)
Types, Sizes and shapes of cells
Light Microscope
(LM)
Electron Microscope
(EM)
E M of neutrophil
 The cell
• The cell is the structural and functional unit of
the body.
Components
1)The nucleus 2) Cytoplasm.

I) The Cytoplasm
The suspended bodies of the cytoplasm classified
into two groups
1-the cytoplasmic organoids (organelles)
2-the cytoplasmic inclusions.
 The cell cytoplasmic organoids (organelles)
Definition:
They are the living , essential to the vitality and function
of the cell.
They are classified into: two groups:
A) Membranous cell organoids .. including:
1- Cell membrane (plasmalemma)
2- Endoplasmic reticulum
3- Golgi apparatus
4- Mitochondria
5- Lysosomes
B) Non-membranous organelles..including:
1- Ribosomes and polyribosomes
2- Cytoskeleton: Consists of a system of:
microtubules and microfilaments that maintain the shape
of the cells, their ability to move, as well as the
intracellular pathways within cells.
3- Centrioles
4- Cilia and flagella
A) Membranous Cell Organoids
1) The cell membrane and the cell coat
By L/M:
The cell membrane is only 9 - 10 nm thick and thus
too thin to be resolved with L.M.
By E.M.:
It appears as a trilaminar (or trilamellar)
membrane
formed of two electron dense(dark) layers
separated by a lucent (Light) intermediate one.
This arrangement is called Unit Membrane . The
outer surface of the membrane is covered by the
cell coat (glycocalyx).
• The molecular structure of cell membrane
1) Phospholipid molecules
2) Protein molecules
3) Cholesterol molecules
4) Glycoprotein and glycolipids molecules
• Functions of the cell (plasma) membrane:
• 1- Selective transport:
• 2- Recognizing chemical messages by cell-surface
receptors:
• 3- Endocytosis & Exocytosis: a cell engulfs a part of
the outer environment by surrounding it.

• If the engulfed contents of the vesicle are solid

materials, the process is called phagocytosis.
 If these contents are liquid, the process of called
pinocytosis
• The cell coat (Glycocalyx):
• Chemical compsion of the cell coat:
• 1) Glycoproteins. 2) Glycolipids.
• Functions of the cell coat:
1) acts as an adhesive, helping to hold cells
together.
2) allowing cells to recognize other cells of their
own kind.
3) The cell coat is the site of the ABO blood
groups and the receptors for hormones and
enzymes.
 2) The Endoplasmic Reticulum
Branching and anastomosing membranous channels.
By E.M., it is found to be of two types:
A) Rough endoplasmic Reticulum (rER)
B) Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum (sER).
A) The Rough-Surfaced ER (rER):
• By L.M:
Can not be seen, It causes localized cytoplasmic basophilia
• By E.M.:
It composed of a group of channels lie parallel to one another.
Ribosomes are attached to the outer surface
Function of rER:
1. The main function of the rER is the synthesis of the
secretory protein.
2. Formation of lysosomal enzymes.
3. Formation of plasma membrane integral proteins.
Rough endoplasmic Reticulum (rER)
 B) The smooth-surfaced ER (sER):
• By L.M.:
Can not be seen, it gives acidophilia to the cytoplasm when
present in large amount.
• By EM:
• System of anastomosing network of tubules
Their surface not covered with ribosomes.

Functions of sER:
1) Drug-detoxification: e.g. in the liver cells.
2) Synthesis of lipids and cholesterol
3) Calcium storage in the striated (skeletal) and cardiac
muscle cells.
4) Synthesizes steroid hormones in steroid secreting cells
e.g. cells of adrenal cortex.
 3) Golgi Apparatus (Golgi Complex)
* By L.M.:
• a. Negative Golgi image: After routine H&E staining, in cells
with intensely basophilic cytoplasm e.g plasma cells, Golgi
apparatus is indicated as pale, clear unstained area close to the
nucleus.
b. Positive image:
After silver impregnation it is seen as darkly staining network
of threads or granules lie around the nucleus in nerve cells .
* By E.M.:
Formed of intercommunicating saucer like sacules
1. A stack of sacules: They have two faces; one -Immature face
or cis (= near) face which is usually convex and facing the nucleus.
The other is mature face or trans face is generally concave and
directed towards cell membrane
LM: silver stain Golgi
granules around the nucleus
in nerve cells EM: Golgi apparatus
2.The transfer vesicles (microvesicles):
* small vesicles budding from the rER and
passing through the cytoplasm to fuse with and pour
their contents in the saccule of the CIS face . They
carry the row protein.
3. The secretory vesicles (macrovesicles):
They are budding out of the saccules of the TRANS
face. They may carry the (secretory) protein to be
discharged out of the cell by exocytosis, or they may
stay in the cytoplasm as primary lysosomes. *
Functions of the Golgi apparatus:
1-The Golgi plays a key role in the modification of the
secretory proteins.
* Protein Synthesis
 4) Mitochondria
By E.M:
* It has (two membranes), with an electron-lucent space in
between
* The outer membrane is smooth and non-folded.
* The inner membrane is rough due to the attachment of closely
packed particles contain enzymes involved in the oxidative
phosphorylation and folded internally to form cristae
* The lumen of the mitochondrion is full of mitochondrial sap
(matrix) consists of some ribosomes and fine strands of RNA and
DNA.
Functions of mitochondria:
1) Production of energy (Power hose ) , needed for all cellular and
body functions.
2) Due to their DNA contents, mitochondria can divide and their
number can be duplicated during cell division.
3) Calcium storage in their matrix.
 5) Lysosomes
By E.M.:
1- Lysosomes are spherical membranous vesicles.
2- They contain digestive hydrolytic enzymes.
Functions of lysosomes:
- Lysosomes serve an important digestive function.
- Defense mechanisms, being the site for destruction of
foreign bodies
- After cellular death: The enzymes of lysosomes are
responsible for the autolysis (postmortem
degeneration).
Types of lysosomes:
1) Primary lysosomes: The lysosomes immeditially
arising from the Golgi saccules and did not involve in
any digestive function.
2) Secondary lysosomes:
a- Heterolysosomes: arising by fusion of primary
lysosomes and phagosomes.
b- Multivesicular body: arising by fusion of primary
lysosomes and pinocytotic vesicles.
c- Autolysosomes (Autophagic vacuoles): arising by
fusion of primary lysosomes with old dead organoids.
d- Residual bodies (Telolysosomes): Lysosomes
containing the residual materials after performing their
digestive function.
The Cell
1-Ribosomes and Polyribosome
The ribosome is a large complex of RNA and protein molecules
By L.M.
They can not be seen. They are responsible for the basophilia of
the cytoplasm due to their content of ribo-nucleic acid (RNA).
 They are synthesized in the nucleolus.
Function of ribosomes
Ribosomes are important organoids that take part in the process of
protein synthesis.
By EM: Two types of ribosomes
1- Free ribosomes: responsible of synthesis of protein necessary for
the cell growth and division.
2- Attached ribosomes: responsible of Synthesis of secreted
protein.
Each ribosome is assembled from two ribo-nucleoprotein
subunits; a large one and a small one.
 A- Centrioles:
- Centrioles are paired cylinders arranged
perpendicular to each other located near
the nucleus and are called the centrosome.
• Functions:
• 1- They form the mitotic spindle during cell
division.
• 2- They form the basal bodies of the cilia and
flagella
 Cytoplasmic inclusion:
Definition: non-living, non-organized suspended bodies of the
cytoplasm which are not essential to the vitality of the cell.

TYPES

STORED FOOD
PIGMENTS

1)Exogenous
Glycogen Fat
2)Endogenous
 B) Pigments: classified into two groups.

• 1) exogenous pigments: • 2) Endogenous pigments:

• generated outside the • generated inside the
body body
• A- Exogenous A- Haemoglobin.
lipochromes; as carotene B- Pigments resulting
(yellow). from the destruction of
B- Tattoo marks. hemoglobin, e.g.
Hemosiderin and Bilirubin.
C- Melanin.
 II) The Nucleus
The nucleus is present in all eukaryotic cells (Gr. eu, good
(true) , + karyon, nucleus) except mature red blood cells
and blood platelets.
Number: Each cell has one nucleus but some cells as
hepatocytes are bi-nucleated while skeletal muscles and
osteoclasts are multinucleated.
The components of the nucleus:
1) Nuclear envelope (or nuclear membrane) It is
composed of two parallel unit membranes, contains
nuclear pores
2) Chromatin
3) Nucleoli (each one is a nucleolus)
4) Nuclear sap.
There are many shapes of nuclei:
There are two types of nuclei;
1- Dense nucleus: its chromatin granules are
densely packed with little amount of nuclear
sap, e.g.; the lymphocyte.

2- Open-face (vesicular) nucleus: Its nuclear sap is

abundant with widely scattered chromatin
granules e.g., nerve cells.
Function of the nuclear envelope and pores:
Regulates the passage of protein from cytoplasm to enter the
nucleus and ribonucleoprotein to leave the nucleus to go to
Functions of the nucleus:
• a-It contains the genetic information.
• b-It has a direct influence on the metabolic activities of the
cytoplasm e.g. protein synthesis.
• c- It plays a major role in cell division.
.
2) The chromatin
Chromatin is composed mainly of strands of DNA combined
with basic proteins [histones].
By L.M.:
appears as basophilic granules widely spread among the nuclear
sap.
By E.M.: According to the density of the chromatin granules there
are two types:-
1- The condensed chromatin (heterochromatin):
It is genetically inactive.

2- The extended chromatin (Euchromatin):

Genetically active and functioning part of the
chromatin.
The Nucleolus
By E.M:
the nucleolus is formed of light and dark areas:
Function of the nucleolus:
The nucleolus is the site where the RNA of ribosomes
(rRNA) is synthesized.
References:
- Basic Histology: Text Book of Histology
Junqueira LC and Carneiro J. 2016-

- Color Atlas Text book of histology ,Gartner

LP and Hiatt JL 3rd Edition
.saunders/2007. ( Practical )

- Geraldine O'Dowd, and Phillip Woodford

Copyright © 2014
Churchill Livingstone, an imprint of Elsevier Ltd.
Histology-
www.visual histology .com/