To the Looking-Glass world it was Alice that said "I've a sceptre in hand, I've a crown on my head. Let the Looking-Glass creatures, whatever they be Come dine with the Red Queen, the White Queen and Me!” — From “Through the Looking Glass” by Lewis Carroll |
Introduction to the histology of the human body for graduate and junior or senior undergraduate students, who are considering a career in the biomedical sciences.

This course will explore cells and tissues of the human body (histology or micro-anatomy) through the use of various microscopic techniques. Special emphasis will be placed on the role of stem cells in tissue formation and regeneration and the structural-functional relationships in different tissues and organs. The lectures will be supplemented by the practical analysis of various organs, tissues and cells using virtual microscopy.
This course is geared towards graduate and upper level undergraduate students with an interest in the biomedical sciences and with a basic knowledge in cell biology and/or biochemistry. At the end of the course students should be able to recognize and interpret microscopic tissue images and understand how the cellular organization of organs enables them to perform their specific physiological functions.
Topics:
- Microscope techniques and introduction to virtual microscopy;
- Cells and organelles;
- Stem Cells;
- Epithelia — using Skin as an example;
- Connective tissues;
- Muscle;
- Peripheral nervous system;
- Central nervous system;
- Cartilage;
- Bone;
- Blood;
- Circulatory system;
|
- Lymphatic system;
- Respiratory tract;
- Glands: Mammary glands and Salivary glands;
- Gastrointestinal tract I (Oral cavity, Esophagus and Stomach);
- Gastrointestinal tract II (Large and small intestine);
- Liver and Pancreas;
- Urinary tract;
- Male reproductive;
- Female reproductive;
- Endocrine system;
- Sensory Systems such as Eye and Ear.
|
Organization of the course:
Each topic will be introduced by a lecture, which will be taught by Medical School faculty (most lectures will be given by Drs. Hortsch and Barald), and will be further explored during the last half hour of each session by practical virtual microscopy analysis. Subsequently, all students are expected to use an on-line laboratory manual to repeat and to explore the topic further on their own. They will perform this task by studying virtual microscope images, which are available via the Internet from a University of Michigan server. http://histology.med.umich.edu/schedule/undergraduate-graduate
Two sessions will be scheduled per week, including 22 lectures (total), reviews or exams (2 exams) for the entire academic term.
Grades will be determined by 8 biweekly quizzes (6-8 questions each), a midterm and a final exam (about 44 questions per exam + 4 more difficult bonus questions for each exam). The quizzes will cover the previous 4 lecture topics, whereas the midterm and the final exam will cover the topics introduced during the previous half of the course and are not cumulative. Most of the questions will be imagebased and will require knowledge of physiological functions. All questions will have a multiple-choice format.
How to enroll:
Successful completion of ONE of the following or an equivalent course is a prerequisite and exceptions are at the digression of the course directors: AT 310/PHYSED 310; BIOLOGY 172, 174, 208, 225 or 305; BIOLCHEM 212 or 415; BIOMEDE 231, 321 or 403; CHEM 351; MCDB 306, 308, 310 or 428; NURS 210 or PHYSIOL 201.
Admission will be limited to 80 students with preference given to graduate and senior undergraduate students. Undergraduate students should sign up under the CDB 450 number, whereas graduate students should enroll under the CDB 550 number.
For further information please contact Dr. Hortsch at hortsch@umich.edu.