Histology: Using Microscopy to Study Anatomy and Identify Disease

FutureLearn Histology: Using Microscopy to Study Anatomy and Identify Disease

Platform
FutureLearn
Provider
The Open University
Effort
3 hours/week
Length
4 weeks
Language
English
Cost
Free
Credentials
Paid Certificate Available
Course Link
Overview
Examine tissues and identify disease with histology and histopathology
Histology is a key part of modern medicine – it helps us study cells and tissues at a microscopic level, and accurately diagnose diseases such as cancer.

This online course introduces the field. It starts with the basic principles of light microscopy, before focussing on the structure and function of human tissues, and the relationships between them.

You’ll use a virtual microscope to compare normal tissues with pathological (or diseased) ones, and use histopathology to identify and diagnose each disease.

The course was produced with the kind support of Dangoor Education.

This course is designed for medical laboratory scientists, and students who are studying human biology at university or school.

You’ll use a virtual microscope that will work on all modern browsers on both desktops and tablets. But we recommend completing the course on a desktop, so that you can see the tissues more clearly, and have course articles, images and videos open in different windows.

What topics will you cover?
  • An introduction to histology and the role or histopathology in diagnosis of disease
  • Development of skills in using a light microscope and understanding the potentials and limits of the instrument
  • Description of how histological slides are produced, stained and interpreted
  • Development of the ability to identify a number of cell types and tissues from their histological appearance
  • Description of the structures of a number of tissues with relationship to their functions
  • Description of some major pathological changes and their histological appearance
  • Development of the ability to identify histopathological changes and their relationship to the underlying disease processes

Taught by
David Male
Author
FutureLearn
Views
1,061
First release
Last update
Rating
0.00 star(s) 0 ratings
Top