GENERAL HISTOLOGY

1. Bone T/S
a. Covered by periosteum
b. Concentric, circumferential, interstitial lamellae seen
c. Osteocytes inside the lacunae
d. Cement line present
e. Haversian canal present

2. Bone L/S
a. Longitudinally running haversian canals
b. Horizontal Volkmann canals
c. Osteocytes inside the lacunae
d. Canaliculi connecting the adjacent lacune
e. Vertical Parallel lamellae

3. Hyaline cartilage
a. Perichondrium with fibrous and cellular layer
b. Homogenous glassy matrix
c. Cells present in nests
d. Presence of significant territorial and interterritorial matrix
e. Predominant type 2 collagen fibres

4. Elastic cartilage
a. Perichondrium with fibrous and cellular layer
b. Chondrocytes in lacunae lying singly or in groups of 2
c. Matrix- Eosinophilic
d. Predominant elastic fibres
e. Present in pinna of external ear, epiglottis

5. White fibrocartilage
a. Thick Bundles of collagen fibres
b. Perichondrium absent
c. Interspersed rows of chondrocytes
d. Present in menisci and intervertebral disc
e. Avascular and non-nervous

6. Large artery
a. Tunica intima, media and adventitia is noted
b. Thickest tunica media
c. Predominant elastic fibers in the tunica media
d. Presence of vasa-vasorum in the tunica adventitia
e. Example Aorta and pulmonary trunk
7. Medium sized artery
a. Tunica intima, media and adventitia is noted
b. Thickest tunica media
c. Prominent internal elastic lamina
d. More smooth muscles and less elastic fibres
e. Example-Brachial artery, femoral artery

8. Large vein
a. Tunica intima, media and adventitia is noted
b. Thickest tunica adventitia
c. Collapsed lumen
d. Longitudinal bundles of smooth muscles in tunica adventitia and
vasa vasorum
e. Example- superior and inferior venacava.

9. Medium sized vein

a. Thickest tunica adventitia
b. Collapsed lumen
c. Tunica intima, media and adventitia is noted
d. Simple squamous endothelium modifies to form valves
e. Example: Great saphenous vein

10. Peripheral nerve-T/S

a. Covered by epineurium, perineurium, endoneurium
b. Axon surrounded by myelin sheath
c. Perineurium surrounds the nerve fascicles
d. Presence of nuclei of Schwann cells
e. Example-Axillary nerve

11. Peripheral nerve -L/S

a. Nodes of Ranvier noted
b. Axon surrounded by myelin sheath
c. Presence of nuclei of schwann cells
d. Schimdt lantermann clefts identified
e. Example-Axillary nerve

12. Spinal ganglion

a. Covered by the capsule
b. Pseudo unipolar neurons arranged in groups
c. Centrally placed large, rounded nucleus
d. More and prominent satellite cells seen
e. Groups of neuron cell bodies are separated by bundles of axons.
 13. Sympathetic ganglion
a. Covered by the capsule
b. Scattered multipolar neurons
c. Peripherally placed nuclei
d. Few satellite cells
e. Nerve fibers run between the scattered neurons

14. Lymph node

a. Presence of capsule
b. Cortex, paracortex and medulla noted
c. Subcapsular, paratrabacular and medullary sinus present
d. Presence of lymphatic nodules with germinal centres
e. Paracortex- only T lymphocytes
15. Thymus
a. Presence of capsule
b. Cortex and medulla seen
c. Incomplete lobulation with interconnected medulla
d. Hassal’s corpuscle in the medulla
e. Epithelioreticular cells for the structural framework
16. Spleen
• Presence of red and white pulp
• Presence of cords of billroth/splenic cords around the sinuses
• White pulp consisting of lymphatic nodules with central arteriole
• Covered by capsule
• Red pulp consisting of Sinuses and RBCs
17. Tonsil
• Mucosa lined by stratified squamous non keratinized epithelium
• Covered by hemicapsule
• Lymphatic nodules in the lamina propria
• Mucous acini below the nodules
• Sections of skeletal muscle below the hemicapsule.
18. Skeletal muscle L/S
a. Peripherally placed nucleus
b. Alternate light and dark bands
c. Cylindrical non branching cells
d. Anatomical syncytium
e. Covered by endomysium
19. Skeletal muscle T/S
a. Peripherally placed nucleus
b. Endomysium, perimysium and epimysium present
c. Multinucleated
d. Sections of myofibrils
e. Bundles of muscle form muscle fascicles

20. Cardiac muscle

a. Centrally placed oval nucleus
b. Cylindrical muscle cells with branching
c. Gap junctions in form of Intercalated discs
d. Perinuclear halo noted
e. Striations present

21. Serous salivary gland

• Presence of stroma made up of capsule and septa
• Presence of parenchyma made up of acini and duct
• Acinus made up of narrow lumen and myoepithelial cells
• Acinus lined by pyramidal cells with biphasic staining
• Presence of Intercalated and striated duct
22. Mucous salivary gland
• Presence of stroma made up of capsule and septa
• Presence of parenchyma made up of acini and duct
• Acinus made up of wide lumen
• Acinus lined by columnar cells, basal flattened nucleus,
• Basophilic stained cells
23. Mixed salivary gland
• Presence of stroma made up of capsule and septa
• Presence of parenchyma made up of acini and duct
• Acinus made up predominant serous and few mucous acini
• Presence of serous demilunes
• Example: Submandibular gland

24. Thick skin

o Epidermis and dermis present
o Stratified squamous keratinized epithelium
o Epidermis with 5 layers
o Absence of pilosebacous unit
o Numerous sweat glands
25. Thin skin
a. Epidermis and dermis present
b. Stratified squamous keratinized epithelium
c. Epidermis with 4 layers with absent stratum lucidum
d. Pilo sebaceous unit present
e. Skin on the dorsum of hand

SYSTEMIC HISTOLOGY
1. Tongue: filiform and fungiform papillae
b. Mucosa with stratified squamous non keratinized epithelium
c. Central core of skeletal muscles running in all directions
d. Presence of filiform papillae with keratin cap
e. Presence of fungiform papillae with taste buds on the dorsal side
f. Numerous sero-mucous glands among the muscle fibres
2. Tongue: Circumvallate papillae
a. Mucosa with stratified squamous non keratinized epithelium
b. Central core of skeletal muscles running in all directions
c. Presence of circumvallate papillae with tastebuds on the lateral wall
d. Von Ebners glands seen below the trough in the underlying connective
tissue
e. Skeletal muscle extends into the papillae
3. Oesophagus
• Architecture: mucosa, submucosa, muscularis externa, adventitia
• Mucosa lined by stratified squamous non keratinized epithelium
• Absence of inner circular layer in the muscularis mucosa
• Submucosa with mucous glands
• Presence of skeletal and smooth muscles in muscularis externa at
different regions
4. Fundus of stomach
• Architecture: mucosa, submucosa, muscularis externa, serosa
• Mucosa consists of lining epithelium- simple columnar
• Narrow gastric pits with long gastric glands in the mucosa
• Presence of chief or peptic cells and eosinophilic parietal cells or oxyntic
cells in gastric glands
• Muscularis externa containing inner oblique, middle circular and outer
longitudinal muscles
5. Pylorus of stomach
• Architecture: mucosa, submucosa, muscularis externa, serosa
• Mucosa consists of lining epithelium- simple columnar
• Long gastric pits with compound and coiled tubuloalveolar gastric glands
in the mucosa
 • Muscularis externa containing inner oblique, middle circular and outer
longitudinal muscles
• Gastric glands show the presence of mucous secreting cells
6. Duodenum
• Architecture: mucosa, submucosa, muscularis externa, serosa/adventitia
• Mucosa consists of lining epithelium- simple columnar with micro villi
and goblet cells
• Villus is broad and thumb shaped
• Muscularis externa containing inner circular and outer longitudinal
muscles
• Plicae circularis and Brunners glands in the submucosa
7. Jejunum
• Architecture: mucosa, submucosa, muscularis externa, serosa
• Mucosa lined by simple columnar with microvilli & goblet cells with
dispersed lymphatic follicles
• Villus is tall and slender
• Muscularis externa containing inner circular and outer longitudinal
muscles
• Villus made up of capillaries, venules and lacteals
8. Ileum
• Architecture: mucosa, submucosa, muscularis externa, serosa
• Mucosa lined by simple columnar with micro villi & goblet cells with
dispersed lymphatic follicles
• Short small fewer Villi with increasing number of goblet cells
• Muscularis externa - inner circular and outer longitudinal muscles
9. Colon
• Architecture: mucosa, submucosa, muscularis externa, serosa
• Mucosa - simple columnar epithelium with plenty of goblet cells
• Absence of villi
• In muscularis externa, outer longitudinal muscles arranged longitudinally
forming taenia coli
• Lymphatic follicle dispersed in the lamina propria
10. Appendix
• Architecture: mucosa, submucosa, muscularis externa, serosa
• Mucosa - simple columnar epithelium with plenty of goblet cells
• Absence of villi and absence of taenia coli
• Muscularis externa - inner circular and outer longitudinal muscles
• Submucosa packed with lymphatic follicles extending into the lamina
propria
11. Liver
• Presence of hepatic lobule with central vein
 • Rows of hepatocytes separated by sinusoids and perisinusoidal space of
disse
• Presence of Ito cells which stores VIT A
• Presence of portal triad consisting of portal vein, bile duct and hepatic
arteriole
• Bile canaliculi draining into canal of herring draining into bile duct
12. Gall bladder
• Inner mucosa, middle fibromuscular layer and outer serous layer
• Mucosa lined by tall columnar cells with brush bordered(striated)
epithelium
• Rokitansky Aschoff sinuses are noted
• Muscular layer interspersed with plenty of fibres
• Absence of submucous layer
13. Pancreas
• Presence of stroma made up of capsule and septa
• Presence of parenchyma made up of acini, duct and islets of Langerhans
• Presence of centro acinar cell
• Acinus lined by pyramidal cells with biphasic staining
• Striated, intercalated, interlobular ducts noted

14. Epiglottis
a. Core of elastic cartilage
b. Lined by pseudostratified columnar epithelium on dorsal side
c. Lined by stratified squamous non keratinized epithelium on ventral side
d. Lamina propria with serous and mucous glands
e. Forms a part of the skeleton of the larynx

15. Trachea
• Presence of hyaline cartilaginous ring
• Mucosa with pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium with goblet
cells
• Submucosa with sero-mucinous glands
• Trachealis muscle
• Adventitia is present
16. Lung
• Presence of alveolar duct
• Alveolar sac lined by simple squamous epithelium
• Presence of intrapulmonary bronchus with cartilaginous plate and
smooth muscles
• Respiratory bronchioles with simple cuboidal epithelium, lacking cilia
and goblet cells
• Type I and II lining the alveoli
17. Kidney
• Presence of cortex and medulla
• Medullary rays are seen in the cortex
• Cortex- Glomeruli, PCT and DCT
• Medulla with collecting ducts, loop of Henle with vasa recta
• Presence of JG apparatus with macula densa, Lacis cells and JG cells
18. Ureter
• Inner mucosa, middle muscular layer and outer adventitial layer
• Star shaped lumen
• Mucosa lined by transitional epithelium
• Inner longitudinal and outer circular layer of smooth muscles
• Transitional epithelium-basal columnar, middle polyhedral and top-
umbrella or flattened cells
19. Urinary bladder
• Inner mucosa, middle muscular layer and outer adventitial layer
• Mucosa lined by transitional epithelium
• Thick muscular layer- inner and outer longitudinal with middle circular
layer- called detrusor muscle
• Mucosa is thrown into folds
• Transitional epithelium-basal columnar, middle polyhedral and top-
umbrella or flattened cells
20. Uterus (secretory phase)
• Architecture-endometrium, myometrium, perimetrium
• Endometrium- lined by simple columnar epithelium resting on the stroma
• Numerous tubular uterine glands dip into the stroma- glands become
coiled, tortuous in secretory phase
• Spiral arteries become more coiled and reach upto the superficial region
• Myometrium thickest with fibres running in different directions
21. Uterus (Proliferative phase)
• Architecture-endometrium, myometrium, perimetrium
• Endometrium- lined by simple columnar epithelium resting on the stroma
• Numerous straight and tubular uterine glands dip into the stroma without
any secretions
• Myometrium thickest with fibres running in different directions
• Spiral arteries are less coiled and present in the stratum basale
22. Ovary
• Outer simple cuboidal epithelium forming the germinal epithelium
• Presence of cortex with numerous follicles in various stages of
development
• Tunica albuginea beneath the germinal epithelium
• Medulla with blood vessels, nerves, lymphatics and some smooth
muscles
• Matured oocyte with zona pellucida and corona radiata with in the
Graafian follicle
23. Fallopian tube
• Inner mucosa, middle muscular layer and outer serosa layer
• Mucosa consists of branching mucous folds almost fill the lumen
• Mucosa lined by ciliated columnar cells, peg cells and basal cells
• Inner circular and outer longitudinal muscle layer
• Serosa-lined by simple squamous epithelium-mesothelium
24. Placenta
• Presence of chorionic and basal plate
• Presence of anchoring and floating villi
• Intervillous space filled with maternal blood
• Tertiary villus shows syncitiotrophoblast, cytotrophoblast,
intraembryonic mesoderm with fetal blood vessels
• Cytotrophoblastic shell towards the maternal /basal plate
25. Umbilical cord
• Outer amniotic layer formed by simple flattened to cuboidal cells
• 2 arteries and one vein
• Mucoid connective tissue with long stretched fibrocytes with
interconnecting cell processes -wharton’ jelly
• Remnant of allantois may be seen
• Umbilical arteries - double layered muscular wall, lack of elastic lamina
and adventitia replaced by mucoid connective tissue
26. Testis
• Covered by thick tunica albuginea
• Cut sections of Numerous Seminiferous tubules seen
• Seminiferous tubules lined by Sertoli cells, cells in different stages of
spermatogenesis
• Tubules are separated by connective tissue, blood vessels and Interstitial
cells of Leydig
 • Sertoli cells - tall elongated, pyramidal cells with, basal oval nucleus and
lateral cytoplasmic extensions forming blood testis barrier
27. Epididymis
• Clumps of spermatozoa are seen in the lumen
• Sections of various shaped ducts with large lumen seen
• Tubules are lined by pseudostratified columnar epithelium with
stereocilia
• Lining epithelium is supported by circularly arranged smooth muscle &
loose connective tissue rich in capillaries
• The smooth muscle help to move the sperm along the duct
28. Vas-deferens
• Inner mucosa, middle muscular layer and outer connective layer
• Tubules are lined by pseudostratified columnar epithelium with
stereocilia
• Small irregular lumen
• Muscle coat is the thickest- inner, outer longitudinal and middle circular
• Transports sperm from epididymis to the prostatic urethra
29. Prostate
• Fibro musculo-glandular tissue
• Covered by thick capsule
• Compound tubulo alveolar gland embedded in fibromuscular stroma
• Section of prostatic urethra lined by transitional epithelium seen
• Glands lined by simple columnar epithelium with lumen filled by corpora
amylacea

30. Thyroid gland

a. Presence of follicles lined by simple cuboidal epithelium
b. Presence of follicles of varying size and shape filled with homogenous
colloid
c. Presence of parafollicular cells in the interfollicular connective tissue.
d. Blood vessels and loose connective tissue between the follicles
e. Presence of follicles lined by simple columnar epithelium in its active
phase

31. Pituitary gland

a. Presence of pars anterior, intermedia and pars posterior
b. Presence of chromophobes and chromophils in the pars anterior
c. Presence of colloid filled follicles in the pars intermedia
d. Presence of herring bodies and pituicytes in pars nervosa
e. Clusters of cells surrounded by sinusoids
32. Suprarenal gland
• Clumps of pale staining cells with sinusoids arranged as cortex and
medulla
• Cortex made up of zona glomerulosa-cells arranged in C or U shaped
• Zona fasciculata- spongiocytes arranged in straight columns separated by
sinusoids
• Zona reticularis arranged in cords forming branches and networks
• Medulla made up of chromaffin cells and ganglion cells with
unmyelinated nerve fibres

33. Spinal cord

a. Presence of central canal within the grey matter
b. Presence of central grey matter and peripheral white matter
c. Covered by duramater, arachnoid mater and piamater
d. H shaped grey matter consists of cell bodies of multipolar neurons
e. White matter consists of bundles of axons

34. Cerebrum
• Presence of outer grey matter and inner white matter
• Grey matter consists of 6 layers of neuronal cell bodies
• Pyramidal cells of various sizes are seen in the different layers
• Covered by meninges
• Small granular cells in inner and outer granular layer

35. Cerebellum
o Presence of outer grey matter and inner white matter
o Shows leaf like folia
o Outer grey matter consists of molecular, purkinje and granular cell layer
o White matter is made up of axons appearing like pink fibres
o Purkinje cells are large flask -shaped cells

36. Cornea
• Made up of 5 layers
• Anterior epithelium made up of stratified squamous non keratinized
epithelium
• Regularly arranged collagen fibres in substantia propria
• Endothelium lined by flattened or cuboidal cells
• Bowman’ and Descemet’s membrane seen
37. Retina
• Made up of 10 layers
• Outer pigment epithelium-simple cuboidal epithelium with microvilli
• Layer of rods and cones
• Bipolar cells, amacrine cells, ganglion cells, muller cells seen
• Axons of ganglion cells form the optic nerve