Exercise 1:  Identification of Epithelial Tissue

The following exercise will provide you with practice in identification of epithelial tissue. 

Materials:
          Microscope                 
          Alveoli of the lung slide
          Skin
          Intestine slide
          Kidney tubules slide
          Bladder slide
          Trachea slide

Procedure:

1.      Identify simple squamous epithelia.  The best example of this type of epithelium is found in the alveoli of the lungs.  Note the single layer of irregularly shaped cells.

2.      Identify stratified squamous epithelia.  The best example of this type of epithelia tissue is the skin.  Note that the cells at the basolateral surface of the skin are different than the cells at the apical or top surface of the skin.

3.      Identify simple cuboidal epithelia.  The best example of this type of epithelium is the kidney tubules.  Note the placement of the nucleus in the simple cuboidal tissue. 

4.      Identify specialized cuboidal tissue.  This tissue called transitional epithelia and is only found in the urinary system.  The best example specialized cuboidal epithelia comes from the urinary bladder. 

5.      Identify simple columnar epithelia.  The most representative sample of simple columnar epithelia will be sections from the intestinal tract.  This would include the jejunum, the ileum or the duodenum.  Note the presence of specialized secretory in the columnar epithelia.  These are called goblet cells and produce a protective glycoprotein called mucus.  Also note the placement of the nucleus towards the basolateral surface of the columnar cell. 

6.      Identify specialized columnar epithelia.  This epithelia is pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelia, and is only found in the respiratory tract.  Note the presence of goblet cells and cilia on the apical surface of the cells.  Also note that it appears that this type of epithelia is multilayered, but in reality is only a single layer.   

Questions:

1.      How does the shape of the simple squamous epithelia facilitate the function of the alveoli of the lungs? 

2.      What is the location of the nucleus in the simple cuboidal epithelium?

3.      What is the purpose of a goblet cell?

4.      What is the placement of the nucleus in simple columnar epithelia?

5.      Why are the cells at the basolateral surface of stratified squamous different than those at the apical surface?

6.      What is the purpose of the specialized cuboidal epithelia called transitional epithelia?

7.      What is the purpose of the cilia in the pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelia?

8.      Draw and label each of the epithelial tissues.

Exercise 2:  Identification of Connective Tissue

The following exercise will provide you with practice in identification of connective tissue.  Note that connective tissue is divided into three groups:  connective tissue proper, which includes areolar, dense and adipose tissue, fluid connective tissue, which includes blood and lymph, and supporting connective tissue, which includes cartilage and bone.

Materials:
            Microscope
            Areolar tissue slide
            Dense connective tissue slide
            Adipose slide
            Blood slide
            Hyaline cartilage slide
            Ground bone slide

Procedure:

1.      Identify loose connective tissue.  Which is also known as areolar tissue.  Note that this is a loosely organized collection of protein fibers, also notice the presence of multiple types of cells.  Identify as many different cell types as possible in the loose connective tissue.

2.      Identification of dense connective tissue.  The best example of dense connective tissue would be a tendon or ligament.  Note the dense arrangement of protein fibers.

3.      Identification of adipose tissue.  Note that this is a unique connective tissue because it is composed of a single cell type, adipocytes.  Identify the placement of the cellular components of the adipocytes. 

4.      Identification of the fluid connective tissue, blood.  Identify as many cell types as possible and note the presence of soluabilized proteins, not fibrous proteins within this connective tissue.

5.      Identification of cartilage.  This supporting connective tissue has a gelatinous ground substance in which the cartilage cells or chondrocytes are found.  Note the ability of the chondrocytes to communicate with each other. 

6.      Identification of bone.  This supporting connective tissue has a calcified matrix in which the bone cells or osteophytes are embedded.  Note the connections between the osteocytes that allow them to communicate with each other.  Identify the Haversian canal and the parts that make up this structure.  Note the bullseye structure of the bone tissue.     

Questions:

1.      What is the purpose of the compression of the cellular organelles to one side of the adipose cells? 

2.      What is the function of a mast cell?  What is the function of a macrophage?  What is the function of a fibroblast? 

3.      What the benefit of the dense arrangement of protein fibers in a tendon or ligament?

4.      What cells are found in blood, and what is their purpose?

5.      What is the function of cartilage?

6.      What is an osteon? 

7.      Draw and label each of the connective tissues.

Exercise 3:  Identification of Muscle Tissue

The following exercise will provide you with practice in identification of muscle tissue.  There are three types of muscle tissue:  skeletal muscle, smooth muscle and cardiac muscle. 

Materials:
            Microscope
            Skeletal muscle slide
            Cardiac muscle slide
            Smooth muscle slide
            3 types of muscle slide

Procedure:

1.      Identification of skeletal muscle.  Using a slide marked skeletal muscle, identify the muscle fibers.  Note that the nuclei are placed on the periphery of the muscle fibers and that this type of muscle is striated. 

2.      Identification of cardiac muscle.  Using a slide marked cardiac muscle, identify the muscle fibers.  Note that the muscle fibers branch have centrally placed nuclei and intercalated discs.

3.      Identification of smooth muscle.  Identify the smooth muscle fibers which are long spindle-shaped cells.  Note that these muscle cells are not striated. 

4.      Using the slide three types of muscle, identify smooth, cardiac and skeletal muscle. 

Questions:

1.      Which of the three types of muscles are involuntary?

2.      Which of the three types of muscles are striated?

3.      Where will skeletal muscles be found?

4.      What is the purpose of the intercalated discs in cardiac muscle?

5.      Where will smooth muscle be found in the body?

6.      Draw and label each of the muscle tissues.

Exercise 4:  Identification of Nervous Tissue

The following exercise will provide you with practice in identification of nervous tissue. 

Materials:
            Microscope
            Multipolar neurons slide

Procedure:

1.      Identify the two cells types within nervous tissue.

2.      Identify the parts of a neuron:  dendrite(s), axon, and cell body.

3.      Identify neuroglia cells, which are the supporting cells of the nervous tissue.

Questions:

1. What is the direction of impulse conduction within a neuron?

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2. What are some of the functions of neuroglia cells?

3. Draw and label the neuron.

4. What is the connection between two neurons called?