Study guides
Histology
4 guides for this subject — how to prepare, what to practise, and how to know it has gone in.
A practice question
Choose an answer and it is marked, with the explanation. From Histology Practice Questions: 8 Worked MCQs.
A section of oesophagus shows several layers of cells. The superficial cells are flattened and retain nuclei; there is no surface keratin. Which epithelium is present?
The oesophagus is lined by non-keratinised stratified squamous epithelium, which protects against abrasion while remaining moist. Keratinised stratified squamous epithelium is the strongest distractor, but its surface layer is keratinised, as in the epidermis.
A spoken answer, marked
An examiner's question, answered out loud and marked criterion by criterion. From Histology Viva Questions: Three Worked Slide Stations.
Examiner
This is an H&E section of a hollow gastrointestinal organ. Describe the mucosa, identify the most likely region and give the features that support your answer. What would help you distinguish it from colon and duodenum?
Identified small intestine and favoured ileum.
ImproveState that regional identification depends on the combined pattern, not villi alone.
Named villi, crypts and aggregated lymphoid nodules.
ImproveDescribe where the nodules lie and note they may extend into submucosa.
Contrasted ileum with colon but omitted the duodenal clue.
ImproveAdd submucosal Brunner glands as a feature of duodenum.
Linked villi to absorption and goblet cells to mucus.
ImproveConnect the enterocyte brush border to increased absorptive surface area.
A strong answerThis is a section of small intestine, with villi projecting into the lumen and crypts between them. The combination of villi and aggregated lymphoid nodules, which may extend into the submucosa, is most consistent with ileum. I would distinguish it from colon, which lacks villi and has numerous straight crypts with many goblet cells. Duodenum is supported by Brunner glands in the submucosa. Villi and the enterocyte brush border increase absorptive surface area, while goblet cells secrete protective mucus.
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Guides
- How to Study Histology: A Practical Revision MethodLearn how to study histology with a practical method for identifying tissues, linking structure to function and testing your recall from labelled slides.
- Histology Flashcards: A Practical Deck for Tissue RecognitionStudy 18 histology flashcards on epithelial, connective and muscle tissue, with a retrieval routine for learning slide-identification features.
- Histology Practice Questions: 8 Worked MCQsPractise eight histology questions on tissue identification, organ structure and cell function, with worked explanations and a plan for reviewing mistakes.
- Histology Viva Questions: Three Worked Slide StationsPractise histology viva questions with a structured slide-description method and worked examples on intestine, kidney and respiratory tissue.
Studying histology? Build your histology board from your own notes — the cards, papers and lectures are written from it. Free plan: 20 cards, a paper, a lecture and a viva to try.
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