After you have mastered H&E staining of your specimens at the bench, do you feel confident in being able to identify the basic tissues and their subtypes in a section without the use of special stains? There are four basic tissue types: epithelial, connective, muscle and nervous tissue. Each tissue type has a unique pattern and morphological features that coincide with its function. However, the blue and pink colors of hematoxylin and eosin stained specimens are particularly problematic creating many histology ‘look-alikes’ such as: smooth muscle, peripheral nerve and dense connective tissue. This presentation will review the morphological features of each of the basic tissue types as well as highlight the distinguishing features of their subtypes. This knowledge should help avoid the issue of ‘look-a-likes’. Consideration of the plane of section and the light microscope resolution will be discussed throughout the presentation which will help in the identification of different tissues.
Learning Objectives:
Understand and recognize the histology of basic tissues and their subtypes.
Learn the histological features which will enable you to distinguish between H&E "look-alikes".
Understand the importance of the plane of section and resolution of the LM in differentiating tissues and organs.