Cytopathology - Introduction

Dr M Afaaq Agha
Assistant Professor
SZPGMI/SKZMDC, LHR
Cell Structure & Function
 Cell - defintion
The cell is morphological, biochemical and
functional unit of all living organism

Structure is closely related to function

 How we study & Visualize cell

Light Electron
Microscope Microscope
(LM) (CM)
 Light microscope and Electron microscope
differ in

1. Optical Resolution

2. Available Magnification
 Resolution
 Resolution refers to the capacity of an optical
system to reveal detail in a specimen

 Light Microscope Resolution: 0.2 µm

• Object at Distance of less than 0.2 µm merge

 Electron Microscope Resolution: 1nm

• Resolving power 200 fold better
 Available Magnification

Light Microscope: X 1000

Electron Microscope: X 100,000
(100 fold)

 Electron microscope display cell and tissue

Ultrastructure
EM images may b two- or three-D

• Three- dimensional (3-D) images

• Restricted to surface
Scanning EM

• Two- dimensional (2-D) images

Transmission • More informative
EM • Ultra thin section (50-100 nm)
 Light and Electron Microscopy are
Complementary

LM EM
• Larger field (cm²) • Superior resolution &
• Wide range of magnification
staining methods • Less flexible
• Pretty & • Visual field less than
polychromatic 1mm²
• Monochromatic
• Costly & time
consuming
Relative size of different Organelle
Plasma
membrane
• 10 nm

Nuclear
diameter
• 5-10 µm

Lysosomes &
Mitochondria
• 0.2-1.0 µm
 Golgi
apparatus
• 50-100 nm

Microtubules • 20-25 nm

Intermediate
filaments
• 10 nm
 Specific Localization methods for LM
 Traditional staining methods of
histology/cytology developed in 18th century

 Used textile dyes

Histochemical techniques

Enzyme histochemistry

Immunohistochemistry