Specialty/Option: Histopathology; Paper: Histopathology-Human cytology
Human Cytology; Genetic; Cell Biology; Cell
infections; Tissue processing;
Code Nature of Paper Duration Credit value Total
MLS 18 written 03hrs 4 100
Answer all questions
Section A: MCQ:- 30 Marks – 1 Mark each
Instruction: Write only the letter corresponding to the right answer on your answer booklet
1. During sharpening of a microtome knife , stropping movement is A) Toe to heal B) Heal to toe
C) Toe to toe D) Heal to heal
2. The removal of metal nicks from a microtome knife is called A) Stropping B) Honing C) Nicking
D) Chiseling.
3. An example of an embedding mold include the following except. A) Plastic embedding boxes B)
Leuckhart embedding boxes C) Plastic ice tray D) Mountant
4. Cervical cancer can be diagnosed using the following methods except A) Paps smear B) VILI method
C) VIA method D) FNA
5. A microtome knife with one side of cutting surface flat and other side concave designed extremely
hard objects A) Biconcave microtome knife B) Plano concave microtome knife C) Wedge microtome
knife D) Chisel or tool edge knife
6. A normal vaginal smear contain the following cells a except A) Parabasal squamous cells B)
Intermediate Squamous cells C) super giant squmous cells D) Superficial squamous cells
7. ____________, are substance that act as solvent for various substances in embalming fluid example
water and alcohol A) Vehicle B) Solvent C) surfactants D) embalmer
8. One of the following is an example of a benign tumours
A) leiomyoma or fibroid B) Adenocarcinoma C) Fibrosarcoma D) Ulcerated tumour
9. In incisional biopsy method A) A portion of the tumour is collected for examination B) The whole
tumour as well as the surrounding normal tissue margin is collected C) A needle is used for collection
D) None of the above
10. Chattering of tissues during sectioning can be caused by one of the following A) Hard tissues B)
Hole in the tissues C) inadequate removal of ante medium D) poor section adhesive
11. The counter stain of the H and E stain is A) Haematoxylin B) Eosin C) Aluminum D) None of the
above
12. The H and E staining procedure is a A) Regressive staining procedure B) progressive staining
procedure C) Both regressive and progressive D) vital staining procedure
13. Neutral dyes are produced by the combination of solutions of acid and basic dyes. The resulting product
stains both acidic and basic structures from a single solution. Romanowsky stains used, for example, in
demonstrating cells in bone marrow, are a combination of A) Eosin and haematoxylin B) methylene
blue and eosin C) Methylene blue and haematoxylin D) haematoxylin and aluminum
14. Metachromatic staining methods are used for the demonstration of connective tissue mucins, mast cell
granules, amyloid and cartlilage are. A) Dyes that combine with certain tissue elements producing a
colour that is different from the original dye B) Dyes that changes the colour of other dyes and produce
a different clour change C) staining that employ metachromic substance to bring about softening of
cartilage D) none of the above
15. Another term for de- alcoholisation is A) Infiltration B) Dehydration C) Clearing D) Embeddin.
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16. The obtuse angle on the tapering edge of the microtome knife that forms the actual cutting edge is
called A) Cutting facet B) Angle of tile C) Clearance angle D) Angle of inclination
17. A microtome that minimizes the presence of artifacts A) Saw microtome B) Vibrating microtome C)
Rotary microtome D) laser microtome
18. In H and E stains basophilic structures are stained A) Purple B) red C) Blue D) pink
19. Mercury chloride deposit on tissues can be removed by the use of A) Iodine B) ammonical alcohol C)
Sodium salt D) fluorine
20. ______________are cosmetics that are used to restore someone’s natural colour A) Active dyes B)
Inactive dyes C) Cosmeticates D) oily dyes
21. _________________ can be used to embalm traumatic areas A) Autopsy Gels and powders B) Gels
and arterial fluid C) Powders and arterial fluids D) embalming fluids
22. Malignant tumours of connective tissues are called A) Carcinoma B) Sarcoma C) Leukemia D)
lymphomas
23. In a vacuum impregnation oven A) A negative pressure is produced inside the oven B)impregnation
is very slow C) dense tissues cannot be preserved D) tissues are evacuated
24. Stains which colour tissue components in a definite order are called
A) Regressive staining B) Progressive staining C) Vital staining D) direct staining
25. An example of a section adhesive that is used to firmly attach tissues on a slide is
A) Mayer’s glycerol albumin mixture
B) Alcohol
C) Haematoxylin
D) Eosin
26. Formalin pigment can be removed by treating the sections with a saturated solution of _____________in
ethanol for two hours. A) iodine B) PICRIC ACID C) Thiosulfat D)Oxalic acid
27. Cells for cytopathological examination can be obtain by one of the following except A) Desquamation
B) FNA C) Swabbing D) incineration
28. The most common mountant is A) DPX B) gelatin C) paraffin D) xylin
29. A microscope that uses light focused on the specimen by a condenser lens, then brought to the eye via
objective and ocular lenses; usually used with stains
A) Brightfield B) Phase Contrast C) Fluorescence D) Confocal
30. Diagram below represent A) collagenous tissue B) Areolar connective tissue C) elastic tissue D)
fibrocyte
SECTION B: Structural: - 30 MARKS
Instructions: Answer all questions
1. Briefly define the following
a) Exfoliation b) mountant C) Autolysis d) Metaltasis E) Clearing 5marks
2. A 36 years woman was diagnosed positive for uterine leiomyomas or fibroid (non cancerous ).
Distinguish between processed tumours cells of fibroid and cells from breast cancer under the
microscope
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5marks
3. Complete the following table 10marks
Fault Cause Remedy
Alternative thin and thick
tissues
Splitting
Crumbling
Chattering
Curved ribbon
4. What are the characteristics of epithelial tissues 5marks
5. How can you chemically test for complete decalcification of tissues 5marks
SECTION C: ESSAY 40 MARKS
ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS IN THIS SECTION
1. Describe four methods of collecting histological and cytological specimens in the histopathology
laboratory 10marks
2. Outline the methods by which fresh specimens may be prepared and examined 10marks
3. What are the basic components of a microtome and their functions 10marks
4. What are the factors that influences chemical fixation of tissues 10marks
End
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Histopathology-Human cytology
Marking guide
SECTION A: MCQ
1. A
2. B
3. D
4. D
5. B
6. C
7. A
8. A
9. B
10. A
11. B
12. A
13. B
14. A
15. C
16. A
17. D
18. A
19. A
20. A
21. A
22. B
23. A
24. B
25. A
26. A
27. D
28. A
29. A
30. B
ESECTION B : Structural
1. A) Exfoliation :- Shedding of cells from hollow organs
B) Mountant:- Substances use to embed tissues on a slide
C) Metaltasis:- Spread of cancer cells from one area to another in the boby
D) Clearing:- De-alcoholisation . Use of ante-medium to remove alcohol and render
tissues transparent by increasing refractive index
2.
cells of breast cancer cells of processed tumours cells of fibroid
Multinucreation Uninucleated
Irregular nuclear outline Regular nuclear outline
Uneven distribution of chromatin Even distribution of chromatin
large n/ c ratio small n/ c ratio
anaplasia varies little anaplasia
Deep staining of nuclease No deep staining of nuclease
3.
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4. Characteristics
Fault of epithelial tissues Cause Solution
i) They
Alternative thin and Large angle of tilt Decrease tilt are a
thick tissues
Splitting Damage of knife Change knife
Crumbling Inadequate removal of ante-medium Return to ate medium
Chattering Hard tissues treatment with phenol
Curved ribbon Blunt knife Replace knife
vascular: i.e. capillaries do not reside within epithelial cell tissues.
ii) Epithelial tissue have ending of neurons with the tissue which help to percinie stimulus.
iii) They are exfoliated or slough off in order to replace death cells.
iv) Stratified epithelium is able to stretch at e.g. urinary bladder which is able to distend or contract.
v) Epithelial cells are held together more tightly. Hence tight junction. This help to withstand
mechanical stress.
6. Testing complete decalcification
- Take 5 ml of decalcifying fluid from the bottom of container which has been in contact with the tissue
for 6-12 hrs.
- Add 5ml each of 5% ammonium oxalate and 5% ammonium hydroxide.
- Mix and let it stand for 15-30 min.
- A cloudy solution caused by calcium oxalate indicates that specimen is not thoroughly
decalcified.
- Absence of turbidity indicates completeness of decalcification
SSECTION C:- ESSAY
1. Common biopsy Methods
i. Excisional method
This is usually used for easily accessible tumours of the skin, breast, upper respiratory tract
and upper Git
The entire tumour as well as the surrounding normal tissue margin is removed
This decreases the possibility of residual tumour to reappear
ii. Incisional Method
This is used when the mass of tissue is to large to be removed
The tumour obtained should be representatingSurgical incision often required to determine
the anatomical extend or stage of the tumour
iii. Needle biopsy: This is used for suspicious masses that are easily accessible such as some growth in
the breast, lungs, kidney and liver
iv. Desquamation
v. Swabbing
2. Fresh specimens may be prepared and examined as teased, squash, smear or touch preparations.
Teased Preparation:
In teased preparation, the tissue to be examined is dissected with mounted needles while immersing the
tissue in to an isotonic solution such as normal saline.(or Ringer solution) in a Petri dish or watch glass.
Selected piece of tissue are transferred carefully to a microscopic slide and mounted as a wet preparation
under a cover glass.
Squash Preparation:
This is placing of tissue which is not more than 1mm in diameter in the center of a microscopic/slide and
forcibly (physical force) applying a cover glass in order to examine the cellular content of the tissue.
Smears
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- Smears are common for swabs or scrapping of epithelial cells (oral cavity, cervic etc) cell smears are a
form of histological preparation that does not require sectioning.
- Smears are made by spreading the selected portions of the specimen over the surface of the slide using
a platinum loop or spread with another slide.
Touch preparation or impressions smears;
- Here, the surface of a clean glass slide is brought in contact with a freshly cut piece of tissue.
- Cells are transferred from tissue to the slide and it is then examined microscopically by phase contrast
after applying vital stains.
3. Components of microtome
Cutting edge or knife for sectioning
Specimen holder to hold specimen
Screw to move specimen towards the blade
Crank to raise the specimen advances it and lowers it across the blade
Knife clamp to fold the knife
Thickness gauge to control the size of the section
Operating handle enables cutting of sections
4. Factors influencing chemical fixation
- Temperature: Increase in temperature that leads to increase in the rate of diffusion into the
tissue and speed in the rate of chemical reaction. At low temperature, the action of enzyme will
be reduced but the fixation time will be long.
- Time: Time depends on the type of fixative. Fixative needs time to diffuse into the tissue and
react with the tissue components
- Penetration rate:The rate of penetration depends on its diffusion characteristic.
- Specimen dimension: Specimen generally should not be more than 4mm thick.
- PH and Buffer:The PH should kept in the physiological range of 4-9.
- Osmolarity: Phosphohpid membrane is usually damaged by excessive hypotonic or hypertonic
solutions.
