How is skeletal muscle recognised on a slide?

Skeletal muscle forms long, unbranched striated fibres. Each fibre has many nuclei pressed against its edge.

How is smooth muscle recognised on a slide?

Smooth muscle cells are spindle-shaped with no striations. Each cell has one elongated central nucleus.

How can an artery be told apart from a vein in a stained cross-section?

An artery has a thick wall with a wide middle layer of smooth muscle and a small, round lumen. A vein has a thinner wall and a wide, irregular lumen that often looks collapsed.

Why might an elastic stain be used on a section of a blood vessel?

An elastic stain colours elastic fibres dark, so the wavy elastic layers of an artery wall stand out. Arteries have far more elastic tissue than veins, making the two easy to tell apart.

CCEA A-Level Life and Health Sciences 0008

Experimental Techniques

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Histology and PathologyDouble Award

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Histology and Pathology

Recognising tissues, atheroma and emphysema on slides

3 things to know
A2 8

Overview

Recognising blood, cardiac, skeletal and smooth muscle, arteries and veins, kidney and liver on slides, size calculations with micrometers, atheroma and its dangers, and emphysema in lung tissue.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

What is atheroma, and how is it recognised on a prepared slide of an artery?

Key term

How is blood recognised in a stained tissue section?

Key term

How is cardiac muscle recognised on a slide?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1
How is blood recognised in a stained tissue section?
Model answer
Red blood cells appear as small pink discs with no nucleus, usually packed inside vessel lumens. Occasional white cells stand out by their purple nuclei.
2
How is cardiac muscle recognised on a slide?
Model answer
Cardiac muscle fibres are striated and branched, with one or two central nuclei per cell. Dark intercalated discs cross the fibres where cells join.
3
How is skeletal muscle recognised on a slide?
Model answer
Skeletal muscle forms long, unbranched striated fibres. Each fibre has many nuclei pressed against its edge.
4
How is smooth muscle recognised on a slide?
Model answer
Smooth muscle cells are spindle-shaped with no striations. Each cell has one elongated central nucleus.
5
How can an artery be told apart from a vein in a stained cross-section?
Model answer
An artery has a thick wall with a wide middle layer of smooth muscle and a small, round lumen. A vein has a thinner wall and a wide, irregular lumen that often looks collapsed.
6
Why might an elastic stain be used on a section of a blood vessel?
Model answer
An elastic stain colours elastic fibres dark, so the wavy elastic layers of an artery wall stand out. Arteries have far more elastic tissue than veins, making the two easy to tell apart.

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