ANAT2241 Covering and Lining Epithelia

ANAT2241 This practical support page content is not part of the virtual science practical class and provides additional information for student self-directed learning purposes. All practical class pages are located on Moodle - ANAT2241

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General Objective

To learn the structure and function of covering and lining epithelia.

Specific Objectives

To identify covering and lining epithelia.
To understand the terms endothelium, and mesothelium.
To classify epithelia on the basis of cell morphology and cell arrangement (e.g. layering), noting the general absence of blood vessels in epithelia.
To study the surface specializations of some epithelial cells: brush or striated border (microvilli), non-motile stereocilia and motile cilia and to recognise these specialisation in electron micrographs.

Histology

Epithelium forms continuous layers of cells that cover surfaces and line cavities of the body.


Epithelia cell shape	Epithelia sectioning appearance

Course Links

Moodle - ANAT2241 - 2019

Histology Glossary: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | ANAT2241 Support | Histology | Histology Stains | Embryology Glossary

Common Histology Stains

Histology Stains - Common Stains and Their Reactions
Stain	Nucleus	Cytoplasm	Collagen	RBCs	Other
Haematoxylin	blue	-	-	-	mucins - light blue
Eosin	-	pink	pale pink	bright red	colloid - pinkmuscle - red
Iron Haematoxylin	blue/black	-	-	-
Van Gieson	-	brown/yellow	red	yellow	muscle: yellow/browncartilage - pink
Verhoeff's Elastin	black	-	-	-	elastic fibres - black
Tartrazine	-	yellow	yellow	yellow
Silver Impregnation	-	-	grey/brown	-	reticular fibres - black
Methyl Green	dark green	light green	light green	green
Nuclear Fast Red	red	pink	pink	pink
Gomori's Trichrome	purple/red	purple	green	red	keratin - redmuscle - purple/red
Heidenhain's Azan	red	purple/red	deep blue	red	muscle - red
Osmium Tetroxide	-	-	brown	brown	myelin, lipids - black
Alcian Blue	-	-	-	-	mucins, - blue
Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS)	-	-	pink	-	mucins, glycogen, glycocalyx - magenta
Phosphotungstic Acid-Hematoxylin (PTAH)	blue	-	red	blue	muscle bands - blue
Masson's Trichrome	blue/black	red	green/blue	red	cartilage, mucins - blue or green; muscle - red
Luxol Fast Blue	-	-	-	variable	myelin - blue
Aldehyde Fuchsin	-	-	-	-	elastic fibres, mast cells - deep purple
Light Green	-	-	light green	-
Gallocyanin	dark blue	-	-	-	nucleic acids, Nissl granules - dark blue
Romanowsky (e.g. Leishman's)	blue	pink			acidophils - red, basophils - blue, azurophilic - purple
Aldehyde Pararosanilin					elastic fibres - purple

Haematoxylin and Eosin
One of the most common staining techniques in pathology and histology. Acronym "H and E" stain. (H&E, HE).
Haematoxylin Stains nuclei blue to dark-blue. Stains the matrix of hyaline cartilage, myxomatous, and mucoid material pale blue. Stains myelin weakly but is not noticeable if combined with eosin stain. combined with Orange G (H & Or. G.) instead of eosin, specifically stains the granules of acidophilic cells of the adenohypophysis (anterior pituitary).	Eosin Stains cytoplasm pink to red; red blood cells are also bright red. Common counterstain to hematoxylin. Stain intensity varies with the formula as well as the fixative.

Practical Support

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ANAT2241 This practical support page content is not part of the science practical class and provides only background information for student self-directed learning purposes.

Cite this page: Hill, M.A. (2026, October 6) Embryology ANAT2241 Covering and Lining Epithelia. Retrieved from https://embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/embryology/index.php/ANAT2241_Covering_and_Lining_Epithelia

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