PURPOSE OF THE COURSE

The purpose of this course is to teach students in Medical Laboratory science the histologic techniques required by the clinical laboratory technologists to be able to prepare tissues sections for microscopic examinations.

 EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the course, the students are expected to;

1.  Describe and carry out the different methods of tissue fixation.

2.  Outline the factors affecting the rate of decalcification and name the different decalcifying agents.

3.  Discuss the skills in using the microtome in tissue sectioning and processing.

4.  Describe the skills involved in the mounting of stained tissue.

5.  Describe the various staining techniques in the histopathology laboratory.

6.  Discuss the techniques in using cytological stains for smears.

7. Outline the embalming procedures.

 COURSE DESCRIPTION

Introduces student to histologic preparatory techniques including: Microtomy, tissue sectioning and cutting using microtomes and knives, mounting, staining techniques.  Frozen tissue cutting using cryostat. Staining used for cytopathological techniques.  Preparation and decalcification of bone sections.  Staining methods for bone, cartilage, connective tissue, elastic fibers, fibrin amyloid, central nervous system, mast and plasma cells, glycogen, mucin, mucopolysaccharides, iron, calcium salts, enzymes and various pigments.  Learning how to process museum specimen and embalming.  Student gains insight into the complex technologies involved in producing the results which today’s pathologists are required to interpret.  If possible, the course should be taken concurrently with histology.  There will be two lectures and one laboratory period a week.

COURSE CONTENT

1. An understanding of microscopy:
2. The parts of a microscope and their functions
3. Types microscopy
4. Care of the microscope
5. To include the following topics:
6. Biopsies and autopsies
7. Specimen accessioning
8. Gross Examination also called “The cut-up procedure”
9. Frozen sections
10. Fixation and fixatives
11. Tissue fixation
12. Classification of fixatives
13. Methods of fixation
14. Factors influencing fixation
15. Fixation of specific tissue
16. Recipes of common fixatives

            17. Decalcification

18. Decalcifying agents

Factors affecting the rate of Decalcification

Detecting the end point of Decalcification

            19. Tissue processing

Orientation of Specimen for Sectioning

Tissue Embedding

Microtomy or tissue sectioning

Attaching sections onto glass slide

Staining of tissue sections and staining techniques

Mounting of stained tissues sections

Examination of stained tissue sections

20. Cytopathological Techniques: Cytopathological smears, Cytopathological stains