Tissues 111
LABORATORY
Tissues continued
EXERCISE:B.. Connective Tissue- Examine a prepared slide of hyaline carti-
lage. Notice how the chondrocytes are in a
cavity or lacuna and that the matrix appears
clear. No fibers are visible in the matrix. Re-
fer to Figure 5-8 in the text as you view your
slide.^ - Examine a prepared slide of elastic carti-lage.
This slide has been specially stained to show
the splinter-like elastin fibers embed-ded in
the matrix surrounding the chondro-cytes in
their lacuna. Refer to Figure 5-10 in the text
as you view this slide.^ - Examine a prepared slide of fibrocartilage.
Notice how thick and wavy the fibers of col-
lagen are arranged in the matrix. Note the
fewer chondrocytes in their lacunae com-
pared to the other two types of cartilage.
Refer- to Figure 5-9 as you view this slide.^ - Examine a prepared slide of compact bone.
Refer to Figure 5-11 of the text as you view
this slide. Identify the central canal sur-
rounded by rings of bone. The central ca-nal
contains a blood capillary. The rings of bone
are formed by the mineralized matrix and are
called lamellae. Note the lacunae, which
contain the osteocytes.^ - Examine a prepared slide of human blood
stained with Wright’s stain. First examine
under low power. Look for an area where you
see some dark-stained cells. These will be
leukocytes with stained nuclei. Switch to high
power. You will be able to iden-tify the many
erythrocytes without nuclei and various
leukocytes with their stained
nucleus that usually appears folded. Also
notice the tiny stained specks in the plasma;
these are thrombocytes or platelets. Refer to
Figure- 5-12 in the text.C.. Muscle Tissue- Examine a prepared slide of smooth muscle.
Notice the spindle tapering cells of smooth
muscle with no cross striations. They are
uninucleated and under the microscope look
like flowing water in a stream. Refer to Figure
5 - 14 in the text.^ - Examine a prepared slide of skeletal muscle.
Notice that the cells are large, multinucle-ated
with visible cross striations. They look like
thick poles under the microscope. The cross
striations are alternating bands of thick
myosin protein filaments (dark) and thin actin
protein filaments (light). Refer to Figure- 5- 15
in the text as you view this tissue.^ - Examine a prepared slide of cardiac muscle.
Refer to Figure 5-16 in the text. Notice that
the cells are striated and uninucleated. The
cells have branches that look like splits in a
pole. Notice the thick intercalated disks that
connect the branches of the cardiac cells.
D.. NERVOUS TISSUE- Examine a prepared slide of a multipolar
neuron. This slide comes from the spinal cord
of an ox. Search under low power to identify
a cell body with nucleus and den-drite
extensions. Notice the very long axons and at
the ends of axons the axon endings. Refer to
Figure 5-17 in the text.