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Hands On Lab 3: Histology and The Microscope (5 Activities)
Submission instructions
• Type your answers and copy all pictures directly into this Word document. Submit it
via the blackboard submission link in Word format (docx).
Introduction
Every structure in your body is made of specialized cells that work together to form tissues.
Histology is the study of tissues and is vital to understanding physiology. To the untrained
eye, all tissues look alike, but are actually highly specialized to perform a specific function.
For example, a thin tissue with many pores might be for filtration, whereas a many layered,
waterproof tissue might be for protection.
This lab will begin with a brief intro on compound microscopes, which you would use to
look at tissue samples. You will then learn to differentiate between the four major types of
tissues, recognize individual tissues, and identify their locations in the body.
Watch These:
Videos located within activities for this lab.
Activity 1: A Brief Intro to Microscopy
Microscopes are amazing tools to use in a lab! The more you use one, the more comfortable
and skilled you become at it. For our purposes in an online environment, we are simply
introducing microscopy.
A. Watch this video: Amoeba Sisters (link opens in new window) Start at 3:30 and end at
8:15 to learn more about the microscope you would be using in an in-person lab. This is a
cartoon, but it accurately discusses the parts of the microscope that you typically find in a
classroom (and many labs) and gives useful tips. Amoeba Sisters make many biology videos
that are worth checking out.
B. Explore the NC BioNetwork Virtual Compound Microscope (opens in new window).
*Note, this website may take a minute to load so please be patient.
-After you click launch, Click on the Explore button.
-Use the sample slide of the letter ‘e’ to explore the different objective lenses, coarse
and fine focus, and light.
-Now play around and explore anything else you want! The purpose of this activity
is to gain a working knowledge of the parts of a microscope.
C. Microscope Escape Room (link opens in new window): Go ahead, test your knowledge!
Enter the winning code here ______________________________ (1 bonus point if you get it correct!)
Before moving on to the tissue activities, watch these:
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Crash Course has LOTS of tissue videos. These 4 are specific to this section in our course.
You may watch the muscle and nervous system videos too, but they go into detail we will
cover later on.
Overview of Tissues (opens in new window 10:42)
Epithelial Tissue (opens in new window 10:15)
Intro to Connective Tissue (opens in new window 10:28)
Types of Connective Tissue (opens in new window 9:42)
Activity 2: Virtual Histology Laboratory
The virtual histology laboratory will teach you the four basic tissue types, their structure,
and function. The lab gives some examples of each type and their locations, but is not
intended to be a comprehensive list.
Virtual Histology Laboratory (opens new window)
Click on the lab and go through each of the four tissue types. This is self-paced and you may
go back to it at any time. You’ll practice what you learned in the activities below. Make
sure you have a pencil and paper to practice sketching as you go through (just a little, no
artistic talent required).
Match the major tissue type with its characteristic (A-E). Each letter will only be used
once.
1. Epithelial
2. Connective
3. Muscular
4. Nervous
A. Contractile
B. Lines structures
C. Information transmission
D. Supportive/Structural
Activity 3: Tissue Concept Map (#5-#21)
The concept map is on the next page with space to write the answers. Concept
maps are a way to organize your information and everyone does it a little differently.
For this one, follow the flow of the diagram to fill in the correct responses to organize the
tissue information. START with the word TISSUE in the center and go out from there.
There is only 1 correct answer for each box, word bank below (Try without the
word bank too!):
Word Bank: Epithelial, Connective, Nervous, Voluntary, Involuntary, Blood,
Communication, Skeletal, Smooth, Cardiac, Stratified, Columnar, Neuroglia,
Fibrocartilage, Small Intestine, Cuboidal, Heart, Support.
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5. 11. 17.
6. 12. 18.
7. 13. 19.
8. 14. 20.
9. 15. 21.
10. 16. 22.
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Activity 4: Identifying Epithelial and Connective Tissues (#23-33)
Identify the epithelial and connective tissues (A-K). Each letter will only be used once.
23. Areolar____
24. Simple cuboidal____
25. Transitional epithelium
26. Hyaline cartilage
27. Fibrocartilage
28. Nonkeratinized stratified
squamous_____
29. Simple columnar____
30. Pseudostratified____
31. Blood____
32. Compact bone____
33. Simple squamous____
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Activity 5: Identifying Muscular and Nervous Tissues (#34-41)
Identify the tissues (A-D). Each letter will only be used once. Then, you will be asked for
one specific characteristic that helped you to ID the tissue. Ex: spindle shape
34. Skeletal Muscle
35. How did you know this? ___________________
36. Cardiac Muscle
37. How did you know this? ___________________
38. Smooth Muscle
39. How did you know this? ___________________
40. Nervous Tissue
41. How did you know this? ___________________
*All images in this lab are copyright of McGraw-Hill
A B
C D
- Hands On Lab 3: Histology and The Microscope (5 Activities)
- Introduction
- Activity 2: Virtual Histology Laboratory
- Activity 3: Tissue Concept Map (#5-#21)
- Activity 4: Identifying Epithelial and Connective Tissues (#23-33)
- Activity 5: Identifying Muscular and Nervous Tissues (#34-41)
