Histology and Cell Division Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering histology (epithelial, connective, muscle, nervous tissues, blood elements, and bone structures) and phases of cell division.

Simple Squamous Epithelium (Mesothelium)

An epithelial tissue consisting of a single layer of flattened cells that functions in filtration and diffusion.

Simple Cuboidal Epithelium

A single layer of cube-like cells surrounding a central lumen, found in kidney tubules, which functions in secretion and absorption.

Simple Columnar Epithelium

A single layer of tall, column-shaped cells found lining the stomach, small intestine, and large intestine, frequently interspersed with mucus-secreting goblet cells.

Pseudostratified Columnar Epithelium

A ciliated tissue lining the trachea that protects the lungs by transporting particles and organisms trapped in mucus upward to the throat region.

Stratified Squamous Epithelium Nonkeratinized

A multi-layered tissue lining the esophagus where cells remain living at the free edge surface.

Transitional Epithelium

A stratified epithelial tissue capable of stretching and altering its cell layers, found lining urinary organs such as the urinary bladder.

Mesenchyme

The embryonic connective tissue that gives rise to all mature adult connective tissue types.

Areolar Connective Tissue

A widespread loose connective tissue in the body containing a loose matrix of collagen fibers, elastic fibers, fibroblasts, and mast cells.

Adipose Connective Tissue

A connective tissue composed of adipocytes containing large lipid inclusions and peripheral nuclei; located subcutaneously, behind eyes, around the heart and kidneys, and in yellow bone marrow.

Reticular Connective Tissue

A connective tissue featuring dark reticular fibers that form a supportive stroma framework in soft organs like the spleen, liver, and lymph nodes.

Dense Regular Connective Tissue

A connective tissue containing densely packed parallel collagen fibers and fibroblasts, found in tendons and ligaments with a limited vascular supply.

Dense Irregular Connective Tissue

A connective tissue composed of unaligned, interwoven collagen fibers and fibroblasts, forming the dermis of the skin and organ capsules.

Hyaline Cartilage

A glossy cartilage type containing chondrocytes inside lacunae; found on articulating bone ends, in the nose, trachea, bronchi, costal cartilages, and embryonic skeleton.

Elastic Cartilage

A flexible cartilage tissue rich in elastic fibers and chondrocytes in lacunae, present in the epiglottis and pinna of the external ear.

Fibrocartilage

A tough, shock-absorbing cartilage with thick collagen fibers and chondrocytes in lacunae, located in intervertebral discs and knee menisci.

Compact Bone

Dense bone tissue organized into circular osteons containing central Haversian canals, perforating Volkmann's canals, concentric lamellae, lacunae, and canaliculi.

Spongy Bone

Cancellous bone tissue made of branching trabeculae plates bordered by osteoblasts and osteoclasts, with intervening spaces holding marrow and blood vessels.

Skeletal Muscle Tissue

The most abundant muscle tissue in the body, composed of long, cylindrical, striated, multinucleate cells under voluntary control.

Cardiac Muscle Tissue

An involuntary, striated muscle tissue found in the contractile heart wall, distinguished by branching cells, single nuclei, and intercalated discs.

Smooth Muscle Tissue

An involuntary muscle tissue composed of unstriated, spindle-shaped tapered cells found in the walls of the GI tract, bladder, uterus, blood vessels, airways, and iris.

Neurons

Nerve cells featuring a soma body, distinct nucleus, nucleolus, dendrites, and an axon, surrounded and supported by glial cells.

Epiphyseal Plate

The hyaline cartilage growth plate at the metaphysis of long bones, organized into resting, hypertrophic, growth, and ossification zones.

Neutrophil

A granular leukocyte in blood smears characterized by a distinctive multi-lobed nucleus.

Eosinophil

A granular leukocyte possessing a bilobed nucleus and cytoplasm packed with reddish-pink granules.

Basophil

A granular leukocyte containing prominent dark purple cytoplasmic granules that obscure the underlying nucleus.

Monocyte

A large agranular leukocyte with a distinctive kidney-bean-shaped or indented nucleus.

Lymphocyte

A small agranular leukocyte characterized by a large, dark spherical nucleus occupying almost the entire cell volume.

Goblet Cell

A specialized mucus-secreting cell interspersed among simple columnar and pseudostratified columnar epithelial cells.

Intercalated Disc

A specialized microscopic junctional connection between adjacent cardiac muscle cells that allows rapid electrical signal conduction.

Chondrocyte

A mature cartilage cell that resides within a specialized cavity in the matrix called a lacuna.

Osteon

The structural unit of compact bone tissue, consisting of concentric lamellae rings surrounding a central Haversian canal.

Interphase

The cell cycle phase prior to mitosis during which the nucleolus and nuclear envelope remain distinct and genetic material exists as diffuse chromatin.

Prophase

The initial stage of mitosis characterized by condensing, visible chromosomes and the loss of a distinct nuclear envelope.

Metaphase

The stage of mitosis where thick, coiled chromosomes align along the metaphase plate in the center of the cell attached to spindle fibers.

Anaphase

The mitotic stage during which sister chromatids split at the centromere and migrate toward opposite cell poles.

Telophase

The final phase of mitosis in which chromosomes gather at opposite poles, nuclear envelopes reform, and cytokinesis forms a cleavage furrow.