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Questions and Answers
What does hematoxylin stain predominantly in tissue sections?
What does hematoxylin stain predominantly in tissue sections?
What is the purpose of passing slides through an organic solvent like xylene after staining?
What is the purpose of passing slides through an organic solvent like xylene after staining?
In light microscopy, what role does the objective lens play?
In light microscopy, what role does the objective lens play?
At which step in using a light microscope should the coarse adjustment knob be used?
At which step in using a light microscope should the coarse adjustment knob be used?
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Which magnification is typically used first when observing a tissue slide under a microscope?
Which magnification is typically used first when observing a tissue slide under a microscope?
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What color does eosin stain in tissue samples?
What color does eosin stain in tissue samples?
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What feature of transmitted light microscopy is highlighted in its operation?
What feature of transmitted light microscopy is highlighted in its operation?
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Which component is NOT involved in the basic operation of a light microscope?
Which component is NOT involved in the basic operation of a light microscope?
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When adjusting to a higher magnification after focusing at low magnification, which adjustment is necessary?
When adjusting to a higher magnification after focusing at low magnification, which adjustment is necessary?
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What is a key purpose of using a coverslip on a specimen slide?
What is a key purpose of using a coverslip on a specimen slide?
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Which step in the production of histological slides involves preparing the tissue for wax infiltration?
Which step in the production of histological slides involves preparing the tissue for wax infiltration?
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What is the primary purpose of fixation in histological slide production?
What is the primary purpose of fixation in histological slide production?
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During the embedding step, which medium is most commonly used?
During the embedding step, which medium is most commonly used?
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What is the typical thickness of the tissue sections cut by a microtome in histology preparation?
What is the typical thickness of the tissue sections cut by a microtome in histology preparation?
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Which chemical agent is commonly used in the fixation process of histology?
Which chemical agent is commonly used in the fixation process of histology?
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What is the main reason for staining histological slides?
What is the main reason for staining histological slides?
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Which of the following steps involves removing alcohol from the tissue sample?
Which of the following steps involves removing alcohol from the tissue sample?
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What is the function of a microtome in histology?
What is the function of a microtome in histology?
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What happens during the dehydration step of slide production?
What happens during the dehydration step of slide production?
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Which step involves placing the cut tissue sections onto a glass slide?
Which step involves placing the cut tissue sections onto a glass slide?
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Study Notes
MDSC 1401 Environment & Health
- Course is offered by the Anatomy Unit, Department of Pre-clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies.
Introduction to Histology and Microscopy
- The study covers histology and microscopy.
- The course includes sessions in the Anatomy Laboratory.
What is Histology?
- Histology is the study of the microscopic anatomy of cells, tissues and organs.
- Histopathology involves the study of tissues affected by disease.
How are histological slides produced?
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Steps involved:
- Obtain fresh specimen.
- Fixation: used to preserve tissue structure and prevent microbial growth, common fixatives include formaldehyde, acetone, and Bouin's fluid.
- Dehydration: tissues are progressively dehydrated using increasing concentrations of alcohol before transferring to an organic solvent (like xylene).
- Clearing: the tissue is immersed in an organic solvent (xylene) to prepare it for wax infiltration.
- Wax Infiltration: the xylene is replaced with molten paraffin wax, which infiltrates the tissue.
- Embedding: tissues are immersed in molten paraffin wax, enclosed in a mould, and allowed to solidify.
- Sectioning: Tissues are cut into thin sections (3-5 μm) using a microtome. Alternatively, cryostat cuts sections from deep-frozen blocks, often of unfixed tissues.
Staining Techniques & Mounting of Slides
- Most cells and tissues are transparent so require staining.
- Haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining is frequently used: nuclei stain blue, cytoplasm and extracellular matrix stain varying shades of pink.
- Slides are dehydrated with a series of alcohols, passed through xylene, and covered by a coverslip for preservation.
Microscopy
- Histology departments use light microscopes that use transmitted light, where light passes through the specimen to the objective lens.
- Light from a lamp is focused onto the specimen by the substage condenser in the microscope.
- The objective lens collects and focuses light to create an image within the microscope's barrel, which is then viewed through an eye-piece as if it is a projection.
- Microscopes have various parts, including the ocular lens (eyepiece), diopter adjustment, nose piece, objective lens, stage clip, diaphragm, condenser, illuminator (light source), head, arm (carrying handle), mechanical stage, coarse adjustment, fine adjustment, stage controls, base, brightness adjustment, and light switch.
- Procedure for using a light microscope includes switching on the power supply, cleaning the slide, placing it onto the microscope's slide holder, centering, using the coarse adjustment to move the stage, turning the objective lens to lowest magnification (typically x4), using the fine adjustment. Then switching to higher magnification (like x10) and adjusting again with the fine adjustment.
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Description
This quiz explores the fundamentals of histology and microscopy as covered in the MDSC 1401 course. It includes key processes involved in producing histological slides and the principles of tissue examination. Understand the microscopic anatomy of cells, tissues, and the impact of diseases on them.
