Ateneo - UPO

Study of the tissues of the human body, set according to the morphological aspects, which in themselves bring indications on the localization and on the
function of the same. How to interpret a histological preparation.
Study of the early periods of human development, of the
strategy / mechanism of how the different tissues originate in the embryo
and how they combine to form organs. Stem cells from the first
stages of development to the maintenance of tissues in adults (homeostasis).

Wheater: Istologia e Anatomia microscopica, Edises

Pawlina-Ross
Istologia, testo e atlante
terza edizione
Casa editrice ambrosiana

Adamo et al.
Monesi Istologia 7a edizione
Piccin editore

Barbieri- Carinci
Embriologia
terza edizione
Casa Editrice ambrosiana

De Felici et al.: Embriologia Umana - Piccin
Moore- Persaud: Lo sviluppo prenatale dell’uomo, Edises

At the end of the course the student must know the characteristics of the main normal tissues (components, main localization, function, embryological derivation)
Knowledge of the first 4 weeks of development
stem cells and hints of regenerative medicine
histological knowledge on the morphological characteristics of the preparations
derived from human and murine tissues

knowledge of biology and biochemistry
It is better for the student to pass the biology exam before the histology exam

Lectures are held, using files in Power point Presentation and Video format.

Optical microscope exercises (in groups) with introductory lectures to explain how to observe at the microscope;
practical lessons in the laboratory with microscopic observation of histological sections of various human and mouse tissues

In the week (s) preceding the exam, the students have access to the microscope room, where they can review the histological preparations, under the supervision of a tutor.

The exam consists of a compulsory written test (about 50 multiple choice questions, of which only one is correct) and an oral interview, which generally takes place on the day of the written test or the day after.
Registration for the exam is mandatory.
The written test is carried out on the computer, for the purpose of the vote, only the correct answers are considered. The assignments are corrected automatically, so that students can immediately know the outcome (number of correct questions) by the end of the test. Only those who have passed the written test can access the oral (correct answers about 80% of the questions).
The mandatory oral exam involves the discussion of a histological preparation with a description of the tissues present and a human embryology question.

• Tissues. General principles of structural and functional specialization of cells in adult tissues. Labile, stable and perennial tissues and homeostasis of tissue regeneration and repair.
• Stem cells. Biological properties (self-renewal, replicative “immortality”, differentiative multipotentiality) and their regulation. Cell senescence.
• Coating epithelia.
• Exocrine glandular epithelia. Morphological classification and structural organization of the glands. Types and modalities of exocrine secretion. Synthesis of vesicle secretion and trafficking molecules. Regulation of exocytosis. Functional histology of salivary, gastric and pancreas glands. Outline of functional liver histology.
• Endocrine glandular epithelia. Regulation of endocrine activity and control of tissue homeostasis. Hypothalamic-pituitary axis and regulatory mechanisms. Glands with polypeptide secretion and steroid secretion. Cell polarity and vascularization. Functional histology of thyroid, adrenal, pancreatic islets. Receptors and mechanism of action of hormones.
• Blood.
• Hemopoiesis. Hematopoietic stem cells and “committed” precursors of the expansive compartments. Erythropoiesis, thrombocytopoiesis, myelopoiesis and monopoiesis. In vitro and in vivo hematopoietic repopulation assays. Notes on the analysis and purification of hematopoietic cells. Regulation of hematopoiesis: bone marrow microenvironment and hematopoietic factors. Ontogenesis of hematopoiesis.
• Lymphatic tissues. Organization of the lymphatic system. Functional histology of lymph nodes, thymus, spleen and mucosal associated lymphatic tissue. Circulation of lymphocytes. Notes on: structure and functions of B lymphocytes and T lymphocytes; Lymphopoiesis and lymphocyte maturation; interactions between cells of the immune system, interleukins and intercellular signals.
• Blood vessels. Structure and function. Angiogenesis.
• Supportive fabrics.
• Cartilage and bone tissue.
• Nerve tissue. Distribution, morphology and ultrastructural specializations of neurons. Axonal transport. Myelination. Gray matter and white matter in the central nervous system. The neuroglia, cell types and functions. The blood brain barrier. The meninges. The nerves. Electrical properties of the neuron's membrane, resting potential, generation and conduction of the action potential. Ion channels. The synapse. Receptors for ionotropic and metabotropic neurotransmitters. The neuromuscular junction.
• Sensory tissues. Functional histology of: gustatory calyxes, olfactory epithelium, cochlear and vestibular organs, retina, touch receptors.
• Skeletal, smooth and cardiac muscle tissue. Tissue organization and distribution. The cytoskeleton of muscle cells and the regulation of contraction. Innervation. Metabolic and histophysiological characteristics of the muscle. Myogenesis.
• Gametogenesis and fertilization.
• Embryonic development from the first to the fourth week.

To achieve the knowledge and skills corresponding to the minimum level of sufficiency, the student is asked to demonstrate: (KNOWLEDGE) - to know the molecular and cellular components, their structuring in the different tissues of the human body; the contribution of these in the formation of organs and systems / systems; - know the morphological characteristics of the different tissues and their correlation with function; - know the basics of embryology: development of gametes, cycle of organs responsible for reproduction, development of the human embryo in the first month, 1-2 examples of organogenesis. (SKILLS) - ability to use the optical microscope; - ability to interpret histological sections of the tissues making up the human body; - ability to understand the basic tools of cell and tissue investigation and the methods for their study. (TRANSVERSAL SKILLS) - be able to read, understand and comment on scientific notions taken from textbooks or specialized literature - know, or be able to trace, essential terminology. - know how to evaluate the teaching provided.