Which field focuses on the study of tissues using a microscope?

• A. Histology
• B. Cytology
• C. Systemic Anatomy
• D. Regional Anatomy

Answer: (A)

Histology is the study of tissues under a microscope. Tissues are organized groups of cells plus the surrounding extracellular matrix that form the structures within organs. In histology, thin sections of tissue are prepared, stained, and examined with light or electron microscopes to reveal how tissues are structured and how cells relate within them. This microscopic focus on tissue architecture distinguishes histology from cytology, which looks at individual cells (often from smears), and from gross or systemic anatomy, which examines larger structures without microscopy. So, the field that centers on examining tissues with a microscope is histology.