Which term would you use to study the structure of tissues under a microscope?

• A. Histology
• B. Anatomy
• C. Physiology
• D. Pathology

Answer: (A)

Histology is the study of the microscopic structure of tissues. It focuses on how cells are arranged, what the extracellular matrix looks like, and how tissues are organized at the cellular level, usually by examining stained tissue sections under a light or electron microscope. This differs from anatomy, which describes body structures at a larger, macroscopic scale; physiology, which explains how those structures function; and pathology, which looks at changes due to disease. In histology, you’d learn tissue types such as epithelium, connective tissue, muscle, and nervous tissue and how staining techniques reveal cell details and organization, helping you distinguish normal microarchitecture from abnormalities.