Download PDF Junqueira's Basic Histology Text & Atlas by Anthony L. Mesher

Sinopsis

Histology is the study of the tissues of the body and how these tissues are arranged to constitute organs. The Greek root histo can be translated as either "tissue" or "web" and both translations are appropriate because most tissues are webs of interwoven filaments and fibers, both cellular and noncellular, with membranous linings. Histology involves all aspects of tissue biology, with the focus on how cells' structure and arrangement optimize functions specific to each organ.

Tissues are made of two interacting components: cells and extracellular matrix. The extracellular matrix consists of many kinds of molecules, most of which are highly organized and form complex structures, such as collagen fibrils and basement membranes. The main functions once attributed to the extracellular matrix were to furnish mechanical support for the cells, to transport nutrients to the cells, and to carry away catabolites and secretory products. We now know that, although the cells produce the extracellular matrix, they are also influenced and sometimes controlled by molecules of the matrix. There is, thus, an intense interaction between cells and matrix, with many components of the matrix recognized by and attaching to receptors present on cell surfaces. Most of these receptors are molecules that cross the cell membranes and connect to structural components of the intracellular cytoplasm. Thus, cells and extracellular matrix form a continuum that functions together and reacts to stimuli and inhibitors together.

Each of the fundamental tissues is formed by several types of cells and typically by specific associations of cells and extracellular matrix. These characteristic associations facilitate the recognition of the many subtypes of tissues by students. Most organs are formed by an orderly combination of several tissues, except the central nervous system, which is formed almost solely by nervous tissue. The precise combination of these tissues allows the functioning of each organ and of the organism as a whole. The small size of cells and matrix components makes histology dependent on the use of microscopes. Advances in chemistry, molecular biology, physiology, immunology, and pathology—and the interactions among these fields—are essential for a better knowledge of tissue biology. Familiarity with the tools and methods of any branch of science is essential for a proper understanding of the subject. This chapter reviews several of the more common methods used to study cells and tissues and the principles involved in these methods.

Content

1. Chapter 1 Histology & Its Methods of Study
2. Chapter 2 The Cytoplasm
3. Chapter 3 The Cell Nucleus
4. Chapter 4 Epithelial Tissue
5. Chapter 5 Connective Tissue
6. Chapter 6 Adipose Tissue
7. Chapter 7 Cartilage
8. Chapter 8 Bone
9. Chapter 9 Nerve Tissue & the Nervous System
10. Chapter 10 Muscle Tissue
11. Chapter 11 The Circulatory System
12. Chapter 12 Blood
13. Chapter 13 Hemopoiesis
14. Chapter 14 The Immune System & Lymphoid Organs
15. Chapter 15 Digestive Tract
16. Chapter 16 Organs Associated with the Digestive Tract
17. Chapter 17 The Respiratory System
18. Chapter 18 Skin
19. Chapter 19 The Urinary System
20. Chapter 20 Endocrine Glands
21. Chapter 21 The Male Reproductive System
22. Chapter 22 The Female Reproductive System
23. Chapter 23 The Eye and Ear: Special Sense Organs

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