What is histology?

; Histology is the science that deals with the structure and

functions of the tissues.
What are tissues?; Tissues are groups of cells of similar or different shapes
performing specific functions.
What are the five types of tissues?; The five types of tissues are epithelial,
connective, muscular, vascular, and nervous tissues.
What is the main function of epithelial tissues?; Epithelial tissues are mainly
used to cover the entire body as well as internal structures and cavities.
How are epithelial tissues classified?; Epithelial tissues are classified as to the
number of cell layers and type of cell shapes.
What are the two types of cell layers in epithelial tissues?; The two types of cell
layers in epithelial tissues are simple and stratified.
What are the three types of cell shapes in epithelial tissues?; The three types of
cell shapes in epithelial tissues are squamous, cuboidal, and columnar.
What is simple squamous epithelium?; Simple squamous epithelium consists of a
single layer of flattened scale-like cells.
What is simple cuboidal epithelium?; Simple cuboidal epithelium consists of a layer
of cube-like cells.
What is simple columnar epithelium?; Simple columnar epithelium is a layer of
columnar cells described as elongated cells.
What is pseudostratified epithelium?; Pseudostratified epithelium is a type of
epithelial tissue with columnar cells that appear to be arranged in more than one
layer because they have been altered by pressure.
What is stratified epithelium?; Stratified epithelium consists of more than one layer
of cells.
What are the four types of stratified epithelium?; The four types of stratified
epithelium are stratified squamous, stratified cuboidal, stratified columnar, and
transitional epithelium.
What is the function of connective tissue?; The function of connective tissue is to
bind and support other tissues and organs together.
What is the extracellular matrix?; The extracellular matrix is a material that
fills the intercellular space in connective tissue and consists of mostly ground
substance and fibers.
What are the three types of fibers found in fibrous connective tissue?; The three
types of fibers found in fibrous connective tissue are collagenous, elastic, and
reticular fibers.
What is adipose tissue?; Adipose tissue is a type of connective tissue that stores
fat globules in its cytoplasm.
What are collagenous fibers?; Collagenous fibers are white, wavy, unbranched
bundles of fibers.
What are elastic fibers?; Elastic fibers are yellow, straight, or bent, branching
fibers.
What is adipose tissue?; Adipose tissue consists of large, rounded cells containing
fat droplets that push the nuclei close to the plasma membrane.
Where is adipose tissue located?; Adipose tissue is located around kidneys, under
skin, in bones, within the abdomen, and in breasts.
What is the function of adipose tissue?; The function of adipose tissue is to
provide reserve fuel (lipids), insulate against heat loss, and support and protect
organs.
What is cartilage commonly called?; Cartilage is commonly, although erroneously,
called a soft bone.
What is the intercellular substance or matrix in cartilage called?; The
intercellular substance or matrix in cartilage is called chondrin.
What are the cells in cartilage called?; The cells in cartilage are called
chondrocytes.
Where do chondrocytes lie?; Chondrocytes lie within spaces called lacunae.
What is the membrane covered with fibers in cartilage called?; The membrane covered
with fibers in cartilage is called the perichondrium.
What is the function of cartilage?; The function of cartilage is to act as a
strong, flexible connective tissue that protects your joints and bones.
It acts as a shock absorber throughout your body.;
What is the function of cartilage connective tissue?; It acts as a shock absorber
throughout your body.
What are the three types of cartilage connective tissue?; Hyaline cartilage,
Elastic cartilage, and Fibrocartilage.
What is the location of hyaline cartilage?; Nose tip, bronchi and bronchial tubes,
larynx, ring of trachea, and costal cartilages.
What is the location of elastic cartilage?; Ears and epiglottis.
What is the function of fibrocartilage?; Tensile strength with the ability to
absorb compressive shock.
What is bone or osseous tissue composed of?; Calcified intercellular substances.
What is the functional unit of the bone?; The Haversian System.
What is the membrane that covers the Haversian System called?; Periosteum.
What are the cells in bone tissue called?; Osteocytes.
What are the cavities that osteocytes occupy called?; Lacunae.
What are the canals that connect lacunae called?; Canaliculi.
What is the marrow cavity in bone tissue?; The central cavity of bone shafts where
red and yellow bone marrow is stored.
What are lacunae?; Cavities in bones that contain cells.
What is the function of bones?; To support, protect, provide a lever system for
muscles to act on, store calcium and fat, and form blood cells.
What is the sarcolemma?; The membrane that surrounds muscle fibers.
What are myofibrils?; Minute fibers found in muscle fibers.
What is the main function of muscular tissue?; To create movement through
contraction.
What are the two muscle filaments responsible for contraction?; Actin and myosin.
What is the location of skeletal muscle?; Attached to bones via tendons.
What is the function of skeletal muscle?; Voluntary movement.
What is the myolemma?; The cell membrane surrounding a skeletal muscle fiber or a
cardiomyocyte.
What is the function of the myolemma?; Voluntary movement and locomotion.
What is the visceral muscle?; The muscle found in the internal organs.
What is the cardiac muscle?; The muscle of the heart that forms the contractile
tissue of the heart which functions for the pumping of blood.
What is the function of the cardiac muscle?; As the wall of the heart contracts,
cardiac muscle tissue propels blood into circulation; involuntary control.
What is the structure of the cardiac muscle?; Consists of branched striated cells,
each containing a single nucleus and specialized cell junctions called intercalated
disks that allow ions (action potentials) to move quickly from cell to cell.
What is the function of the voluntary muscle?; Can be controlled by the will.
What is the function of the involuntary muscle?; Cannot be controlled by the will.
What is the striated muscle?; The muscle with alternately dark and light bands.
What is the smooth muscle?; The muscle without striations.
What is blood?; A fluid or liquid tissue with cells used to distribute body
materials such as food, hormones, gases, and wastes.
What is the plasma?; The fluid content of blood.
What are red blood cells?; The cells that transport oxygenated blood.
What is hemoglobin?; The red pigment of the red blood cells.
What are white blood cells?; The cells that are part of the immune system and help
fight infections.
What is the function of red blood cells?; They transport oxygenated blood.
What is hemoglobin?; Hemoglobin is the red pigment of the cells.
What are white blood cells also known as?; White blood cells are also known as
leucocytes.
Why are white blood cells called soldiers of the body?; They are called soldiers of
the body because they fight infections.
What is phagocytosis?; Phagocytosis is when cells engulf and digest other cells or
debris.
What are pseudopodia?; Pseudopodia are temporary projections of eukaryotic cell
membrane or unicellular protists that function in locomotion and phagocytosis.
What is diapedesis?; Diapedesis is when white blood cells squeeze through the walls
of blood vessels and enter tissues.
What is pinocytosis?; Pinocytosis is the ingestion of surrounding fluid by cells.
What are granulocytes?; Granulocytes consist of cytoplasmic granules.
What is the function of neutrophils?; Neutrophils protect against bacterial
attacks.
What is the function of eosinophils?; Eosinophils are necessary for inflammation
prevention.
What is the function of basophils?; Basophils have a role in allergic reactions.
What are agranulocytes?; Agranulocytes do not contain granules.
What is the function of lymphocytes?; Lymphocytes are capable of producing
antibodies.
What is the function of monocytes?; Monocytes are capable of phagocytic action and
are motile.
What is the function of monocytes?; They are capable of phagocytic action and are
motile.
What are thrombocytes?; They are blood platelets important in blood clotting.
What is the main tissue of our nervous system?; Nervous tissue.
What is the function of nervous tissue?; It receives and transmits impulses,
monitors and regulates the functions of the body, and is mainly made up of cell
body and processes.
What is the function of dendrites?; They are rootlike extensions that receive the
stimuli/nerve impulses from the sense organs or the surrounding neuron.
What is the function of axons?; They transmit impulses from the neuron and nerve
impulses will travel down the axon until they reach the axon terminal.
What is the function of the cell body?; Nerve impulses will be conducted into the
cell body, where you can find the nucleus.
What are glial cells?; They are cells that help transmit nerve impulses and also
provide nutrients to neurons.
Where is nervous tissue located?; Brain, spinal cord, and nerves.
What is the function of nervous tissue?; It transmits electrical signals from
sensory receptors to the spinal cord or brain.
What is the function of nervous tissues?; Nervous tissues transmit electrical
signals from sensory receptors to the spinal cord or brain, and from the spinal
cord or brain to effectors (muscles and glands).
What are the three classifications of nervous tissues based on the number of
processes?; The three classifications of nervous tissues are unipolar, bipolar, and
multipolar.
What is the difference between sensory or afferent and motor or efferent nervous
tissues?; Sensory or afferent nervous tissues conduct impulses from sensor
receptors, the skin, or sense organs to nerve centers, the brain, and the spinal
cord, while motor or efferent nervous tissues carry impulses from the central
nervous system to the different effectors, the muscles.
What is a synapse?; A synapse is the point of communication between two neurons or
between a neuron and a target cell.
How does the firing of an action potential in one neuron affect another neuron at
the synapse?; The firing of an action potential in one neuron (the presynaptic, or
sending, neuron) causes the transmission of a signal to another neuron (the
postsynaptic, or receiving, neuron) making the postsynaptic neuron either more or
less likely to fire its own action potential.
What is the resting membrane potential of a neuron?; -70mV.
What is the threshold potential of a neuron?; -55mV.
What is the mechanism of action of local anesthetics?; Inhibition of voltage-gated
Na+ channels.
What is the difference between depolarization and hyperpolarization?;
Depolarization is a decrease in membrane potential, while hyperpolarization is an
increase in membrane potential.
What is the difference between an excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitter?; An
excitatory neurotransmitter increases the likelihood of an action potential, while
an inhibitory neurotransmitter decreases the likelihood of an action potential.
What is the role of the myelin sheath in neuronal conduction?; The myelin sheath
increases the speed of neuronal conduction.
What is the difference between afferent and efferent neurons?; Afferent neurons
transmit sensory information to the central nervous system, while efferent neurons
transmit motor information away from the central nervous system.
What is the difference between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous
systems?; The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for the "fight or flight"
response, while the parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for the "rest and
digest" response.
What is the function of the blood-brain barrier?; The blood-brain barrier regulates
the passage of substances from the bloodstream into the brain.
What is the difference between gray matter and white matter in the brain?; Gray
matter contains cell bodies and dendrites, while white matter contains myelinated
axons.