In medical practice, not only instrumental diagnostic methods are often used, but also laboratory ones. They are able to complement each other, since none of them gives a complete picture of the state of human he alth. Histology and cytology are far from the last place in the field of laboratory research. But not all patients know how they differ and what their role is in the diagnosis process.
Human Science
Anatomy knows everything about the structure and functions of the human body. It considers people at all levels of its activity: from organ systems to the smallest cells. Therefore, it has many sections specializing in a particular object of study.
Cytology and histology are considered to be one of the branches of this great science. Anatomy gives them one of the central places, because they consider a person as a system consisting of organs and tissues withfunctions.
But how do these two sciences differ? And how do they relate to medical research?
Cytology Basics
All living organisms are made up of cells. It is cytology that studies how they function, live and reproduce.
Man is a complex structure. Hundreds of new cells appear in it every minute and old ones die. Cytology studies their structure and features of the functioning of organelles. If everything is normal, then everything in the body will work like a Swiss watch. But if any abnormalities are noticed, then over time, most of the cells in a particular tissue will not be able to perform their functions, and disease will appear.
In addition to studying the norm and deviation, cytologists also conduct research on under what conditions a cell is he althy and what should be done if abnormalities are found in it. This helps pharmacology and medicine find the best means to treat sick people and maintain their he alth in optimal condition.
Histology as a science
Histology and cytology are related sciences. Their object of study is almost the same. But! If cytology considers cells as separate independent structures, then histology is interested in how they combine into tissues and how they interact with each other.
So, histology is the science of the structure of tissues of living beings, their interaction and functions in the body. She may find that some cells do not meet the standards, but she will not figure out what is wrong with their structure. Histologythe main thing is to understand how they interfere with the normal functioning of the tissue. That is why these two sciences, looking at the same thing, see different objects of research.
What does medicine have to do with it?
Medicine is also the science of man. Only its main subject is his he alth and ways to return it if, for some reason, an illness has appeared. Cytology and histology help her understand the deep processes that occur in the body and which cannot be seen using instrumental methods: from X-rays to MRI.
For example, a tumor can be visualized using ultrasound, CT, MRI, endoscopes. But it is not always possible to understand what its character is, how it develops and whether it interferes with the normal functioning of the body. Then histology comes to the rescue, which looks at the nature of the interaction of tissues and issues a conclusion about the nature of such a neoplasm.
The initial stages of diseases are not always visible in instrumental studies. But timely collected material for cytological examination can show that a person is on the verge of a serious illness that does not yet give symptoms. This is how cytology and histology help doctors solve even the most difficult problems in making a diagnosis.
Comparison of two diagnostic methods
The general description of these two sciences does not give a complete picture of the difference between cytology and histology. Let's analyze this issue in more detail.
Cytology sees the cell as the main object of study, and histology sees the tissue(collection of cells). They can help each other, supplementing the research data.
Cytological analysis in medicine is used more often at the stage of preventive examinations. The doctor takes materials for it on the surface of the human body without the use of surgical methods. For example, a swab from the vagina is sent for cytology to make sure that it does not undergo major structural changes or the replacement of cells from one tissue to another.
Histology is used at later stages of diagnosis, when a person goes to the hospital with specific complaints. For this research method, it is necessary to take tissue samples that are located at the site of their lesion. Therefore, doctors use surgical methods to remove a sample: a biopsy or an organ removed during an operation.
Reading these comparisons one might think that cytology is better than histology. But comparing these diagnostic methods in this way is not worth it, because they have different methods and goals.
Where else do these methods apply
In medicine, there is a science of embryology. It studies the features of the formation and development of embryos from the moment of conception. New living organisms first consist of one fertilized cell, which then actively divides into their huge number.
To study these processes in full, cytology and histologists are used. The second method, however, due to its traumatic nature, is practically not used on viable embryos. Indeed, in this case, there is a risk of seriously harming them.
But cytology allowed embryologists to learn how to do in vitro fertilization, which gave many childless couples a chance to become parents. Before carrying out this procedure, doctors carefully study all reproductive material in order to select the most viable germ cells from it. This is how cell biology works in practice. Cytology and histology are her main methods, which help not only to restore he alth to a person, but also to give birth to a child.
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Now you know the difference between cytology and histology. Of course, you will not be able to read the state of he alth by laboratory preparations, but when you are referred for one or another diagnostic method, you will know exactly what it is.
In medical universities, the basics of cytology and histology are studied by absolutely all students. This gives them the opportunity to understand in more detail the structural features of the human body. Later, some of them decide to go to work in the laboratory. To do this, future scientists need to study in detail every nuance and phenomenon that are open and studied at the moment.
The main thing is to always remember that the human body is a very shaky system, the disruption of which can begin with one incorrectly divided cell. Therefore, never neglect preventive examinations and always take all the necessary tests.
