The subject

The aim of the Histology and Embryology-1 subject is to learn the basics of histology and general embryology. Histological knowledge is the necessary for understanding physiological and pathophysiological processes. Knowing about normal human development is essential for comprehension of the normal anatomical situation and explains many of the developmental malformations. During the semester you will get acquainted with the light and electron microscopic structure, and functional aspects of the basic tissues and with the early development of the embryo. This is the first part of a two-semester subject.

In the histology practices, the students must work in the Histology Workbook and make a sketch of every slide studied during the semester. The goal of the drawings in not the brush-up of your artistic skills, or replacing the micro-photos, but it is an excellent tool to motivate you to study every details of the slide. A good schematic drawing shows that you examined and understood the important features of the actual tissue.

The exam

The exam is an oral-practical exam at the end of the semester.

The students enroll for the oral practical semester exam individually, according to the regulations of the regulation of the Medical School (ETR). The exam takes place in one sitting. In general, three or four students are present in the place of the exam. One of them is performing, the others are preparing. The exam consists of three parts, including practical and theoretical questions. Each part of the exam is scored ("part-scores"). The students pick an envelope with two slides, and an embryology question. You have cca. 30 minutes to get prepared with the topics. The (active part of the) exam lasts for about 20-40 minutes. .

Parts of the exam:

Description of two slides. The slides are the same as those studied in the first semester; however, they are not necessarily from the same tissue specimen that was shown in the practice. Recognizing the slide is not enough to pass that question!!! During the exam you will get questions not only in connection with the tissue for which the slide was shown during the semester, but with all basic tissues in the slide. You will get two sub-scores for the two slides.
Answering the question in embryology (1 sub-score).

During the exam - besides your topic - you will get short general questions from the material of the semester. If you cannot answer your embryology topic, the examiner will decide based on the general embryology knowledge whether your knowledge is satisfactory or not.

For a successful exam your knowledge must be sufficient both of Histology and Embryology. The final mark of the exam is calculated as weighed average of the "part-scores". Students with lack of general histological orientation (even if recognizing the slide) or the lack of basic embryological concepts, fail the exam.

Retakes and correction exams are identical with the "A" exams in every respect. These exams are neither easier nor more difficult than the "A" exams

We call your attention that the semester will be accepted only (you will be allowed to sit for the exam) if you did not exceed the absence limit (see information of absences), and your histology lab teacher accepted your Histology Workbook.

Exam questions

Embryology

1. Gametogenesis: Spermatogenesis.
2. Spermiogenesis. Morphology of the spermatozoon.
3. Gametogenesis: Oogenesis.
4. Ovulation and fertilization.
5. Cleavage of the fertilized egg, morula, formation of the blastocyst (First week of development).
6. Implantation: changes in the uterus. Development of the blastocyst during the second week.
7. Homeobox genes, determination of body axes.
8. Gastrulation. The epiblast fate map.
9. Neurulation, derivatives of the ectoderm.
10. Differentiation and derivatives of the mesodermal germ layer.
11. Cephalo-caudal and lateral foldings. Derivatives of the endoderm.
12. Development of the muscular system.
13. Growth of bones: increase in length and diameter. Remodelling of bones. Ossification centers. (Attention: not the same as histology of ossification!)
14. Development of the skull. Developmental malformations.
15. External appearance of the embryo, development of the fetus. Characteristics of the full-term newborn.
16. Fetal membranes, umbilical vessels and umbilical cord at full term. Formation of the placenta.
17. Twinnings.
18. Factors causing malformations (with examples).

Histology slides

1. Simple squamous epithelium (mesothelium) AgNO3
2. Simple squamous & cuboidal epithelium HE
3. Mucous and serous glands HE
4. Simple columnar epithelium with striated border HE
5. Simple columnar kinociliated epithelium Fe-H
6. Pseudostratified columnar epithelium with stereocilia. HE
7. Pseudostratified columnar epithelium with stereocilia. AZAN
8. Pseudostratified columnar epithelium. with kinocilia PAS-H
9. Stratified columnar epithelium, multicellular intraepithelial glands HE
10. Transitional epithelium HE
11. Non-keratinized stratified squamous epithelium.HE
12. Keratinized stratified squamous epithelium HE
13. Pigmented epithelium (non-stained)
14. Goblet cells (jejunum) PAS-H
15. Glands of skin (armpit) HE
16. Glands of skin (armpit) AZAN
17. Glands of skin, melanocytes (hairy skin) HE
18. Dense, regular c.t. HE
19. Elastic fibers (aorta) orcein
20. Reticular fibers AgNO3
21. Fibroblasts & fibrocytes (scar tissue) HE
22. Fibroblasts & fibrocytes (cultured) gentian-violet
23. Adipose tissue (small vessels) HE
24. Brown adipose tissue HE
25. Mucous c.t. (Wharton`s jelly) HE
26. Reticular c.t PAS-H
27. Fibrous cartilage HE
28. Hyaline cartilage PAS-H
29. Elastic cartilage Orcein-H
30. Ground compact bone, t. s. fuchsine.
31. Ground compact bone, l. s. fuchsine
32. Intramembranous bone formation HE
33. Intracartilaginous bone formation HE
34. Intracartilaginous bone formation AZAN
35. Smooth muscle HE
36. Striated (skeletal) muscle HE
37. Striated (skeletal) muscle Fe-H
38. Cardiac muscle l.s. HE
39. Cardiac muscle t.s. HE
40. Peripheral nerve HE
41. Peripheral nerve AZAN
42. Peripheral nerve OsO4
43. Sensory ganglion HE
44. Sensory ganglion. AgNO3
45. Autonomic ganglion AgNO3
46. Human blood smear May-Grünwald-Giemsa
47. Red bone marrow HE
48. Aorta HE
49. Medium sized artery & vein HE
50. Medium sized artery & vein Orcein
51. Small vessels (uterine tube) HE

Suggested textbooks

Histology

Michael H Ross PhD; Gordon I Kaye PhD; Wojciech Pawlina MD : Histology: A Text and Atlas With Cell and Molecular Biology
or:
Luiz Junqueira, Jose Carneiro: Basic Histology

Embryology

Thomas Sadler: Langman's Medical Embryology