BASIC HISTOLOGY
Fall 2023
Course Director: Virgil Muresan, Ph.D.
BASIC HISTOLOGY – CBMM N5001
Fall 2023
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course is designed for graduate students in biomedical sciences, and for students (such as
biology teachers, laboratory technicians, or graduate students in research) whose work requires
knowledge of the organization of human tissues and organs, and examination of tissue sections.
The course is designed for Masters students, as well as doctoral and medical students.
Basic Histology begins with a brief introduction to histological methods for light and electron
microscopy, and describes the general principles of immunocytochemistry, transmission
electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The course then
discusses the characteristic morphologies of various cell types, cellular arrangements that form
the four primary tissues (epithelium, connective tissue – which includes adipose tissue,
cartilage, bone, and blood -, muscle, nerve), and the microscopic structure of major organs
within organ systems. The aim of this course is to provide students with the knowledge and
skills needed to identify and describe the microscopic anatomy of various organs, with
attention to the arrangement of the primary tissues within each organ. There will be extensive
discussion of structure-function relationships. Although the details of mechanisms involved in
these functions and in pathological processes are outside the scope of this course, some
reference will be made for interest in the broader perspective of medical science.
Credits for CBMM N5001: This is a 3-credit course. College Biology is a prerequisite.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
The course is designed to provide graduate students with a solid foundation in basic histology.
In addition, it will prepare students for learning in other disciplines that will follow in their
graduate studies.
At the conclusion of this course students will be able to:
• Understand, and become familiar with, the basic principles of cell biology
• Identify the main cell types in the four basic tissues and organs of the human body, and
correlate structure with function
• Identify and describe the extracellular matrix in the four basic tissues
• Identify the intracellular structures and organelles in light and electron micrographs
• Understand the relationship between tissues and organs that make up the human body
• Understand how the altered structure and function of cells, tissues, and organs may
lead to pathology
• Develop skills to understand articles published in biomedical journals
COURSE FORMAT:
Class format will include Lecture Presentations accompanied by demonstration of various
tissue sections by the instructor. After discussion of lecture material, students will be able to
view tissue sections of the region of interest using Virtual Microscopy (VM). In VM, glass slides
previously scanned at high resolution are viewed on a computer monitor and selected regions
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of interest can be viewed at higher magnification. Each student is required to have his/her own
computer, or access to a computer. Team-based learning (TBL) will also be employed, although
this format will be adapted to Independent Study, due to remote exam conditions (see below).
Both VM and TBL should increase comprehension and knowledge retention due to employment
of independent AND collaborative learning. The course will be given in a hybrid
format. Lectures will be given live, and students will be able to attend the lectures in-person, in
the classroom. However, students who want to take the course entirely remotely will be able
to do so, because the lectures will be simultaneously broadcasted over the internet, via Zoom,
with the Chat function enabled. In addition, all lectures and VM presentations will be recorded,
and all students will be able to access them in the NJMS Education Portal. All students will take
all exams on their computers, remotely or at the campus.
The course website is accessible in Canvas, and students are asked to make sure that they can
access it (with Rutgers Username and Password). The login page for Canvas is at:
https://canvas.rutgers.edu/
To succeed in Basic Histology, students need to study visual material (illustrations, diagrams,
photographs, micrographs) and capture mental images. Acquisition of a good repertoire of
mental images and their translation into three-dimensional concepts can be achieved through
careful and repeated observation of textbook and VM images.
The course will have 15 evening sessions, once per week, for 3 hours each session.
Session Time and Location
Thursdays 6:00-9:00 pm. Location: MSB, B-610, and online via Zoom. All lectures will be
recorded and made available to the students (see below).
FACULTY AND STAFF:
FACULTY DEPARTMENT OFFICE PHONE E-MAIL ADDRESS
Virgil Muresan Pharmacology, MSB, I-685 973-972-0573
[email protected] Physiology and 908-723-1006
Neuroscience (cell)
Priya Vaid School of
[email protected]Teaching Assistant Graduate Studies
COURSE TEXTBOOKS:
• Ovalle WK and Nahirney PC. (2021) Netter’s Essential Histology, 3nd ed. Saunders,
Elsevier. ISBN 9780323694643. This is the course textbook. Rutgers George F. Smith
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Library of Health Sciences (http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/smith) has the book
available at Library Resources, under eBooks A-Z.
Accessible at:
https://www.clinicalkey.com/#!/browse/book/3-s2.0-C20180016448?indexOverride=GLOBAL
• Mescher AL. (2021) Junqueira's Basic Histology – Text & Atlas, 16e. McGraw Hill
Education, ISBN 978-1-260-46298-2. This is a freely accessible resource, complementing
– but not replacing - the textbook.
Accessible at:
https://accessmedicine-mhmedical-com.proxy.libraries.rutgers.edu/book.aspx?bookid=3047
EVALUATION METHODS & COURSE GRADING
Assessment/Evaluation:
Exams: Exams will be administered remotely, with remote proctoring. Each exam will consist of
25 practical (with A and B parts) and 40 didactical questions. Practical questions will be based
mainly on slides from VM labs, and didactical questions will be multiple choice (primarily),
matching, fill-in-the blank, short essays, based mainly on lecture material. Students may not
use books, notes, or electronic devices (including computers, calculators, cell phones, players,
etc.) during the online exams. Students should take the exams individually; they may not
communicate with each other during the exams, and may not take the exams in groups. Details
on the remote administration of the exams will be provided in time.
TBL Session and Quiz: TBL sessions are based on a series of learning assignments, which are
derived from the textbooks. Students are only responsible for viewing the figures and reading
the associated text that are specified in the learning issues for that TBL. Each student must be
fully prepared for the TBL sessions, having studied the assignments prior to each TBL session.
TBL Session Format: TBL sessions are difficult to conduct remotely. Because of this, TBL
sessions will be replaced by sessions of Independent Study, where students will prepare for the
quizzes without the Instructor giving a lecture. The students will study from the textbooks and
Virtual Microscope images, based on specific Assignments that are made available two weeks in
advance of the TBL session. A short review of the learning issues may – or may not - be done by
the Instructor one week before the TBL session. At the time of the TBL session, students will
take a short INDIVIDUAL quiz (10-20 questions) that addresses the session’s learning objectives.
The quiz will become available on the course website in Canvas at the start of the TBL session.
Students will have the chance to retake the quiz after a short, 20 minutes, break, during which
they are allowed to consult textbooks.
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Grading for the TBL Sessions: Both quizzes will be graded. The final grade for each TBL session
will be the mean of the two grades.
Additional instructions for TBL sessions will be given two weeks prior to the TBL session. The
format of the TBL sessions may change.
Estimation of Weighted Course Average
• Exam I (Mid-Term) (lecture & lab practical components) 45%
• Exam II (Final) (lecture & lab practical components) 45%
• 2 Team-Based Learning (or Independent Study) Assessments (5% each) 10%
Course Grading:
End of Course Evaluation
At the end of the course, students are asked to complete an Evaluation of the course and of the
teaching faculty. The Evaluation Questionnaires are available in the Education Management
System of the Education Portal. Students will need to complete the Evaluations in order to
access their Final Grade in the course. If you liked the course and how it was taught – or if you
did not - PLEASE complete the evaluation.
EDUCATION PORTAL AND CANVAS COURSE ACCESS:
The CANVAS course website is an essential part of the Basic Histology Course. CANVAS can be
accessed using the Educational Portal website at https://ep.njms.rutgers.edu . The Education
Portal provides single sign-on and “one stop shopping” site for various academic systems such
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as CANVAS, Education Management System, Digital Media Portal, Virtual Microscopy,
SOCRATES, etc.
If the Education Portal is unavailable, direct links for CANVAS, NJMS Video, Virtual Microscopy
etc., are provided below:
CANVAS: To access all course information log onto CANVAS at: https://canvas.rutgers.edu/
The course website is an integral component of Basic Histology. In addition to course material,
the website will contain information concerning the administration and operation of the course
(e.g., syllabus) and will provide links to the VM image database and other useful information.
Course announcements, including emergency procedures, will be displayed on the homepage.
VIRTUAL MICROSCOPY ACCESS: VM slides can be accessed at
https://ep.njms.rutgers.edu/ using your core username and password. Please refer to your lab
guide and lecture materials for more detailed information about how to view and study the
images in your virtual slide box.
PODCAST ACCESS: Please see NJMS_SGS Digital Media - Site instructions.pdf document,
provided in the first module of the course in CANVAS. Typically, recordings will be available in
the Kaltura Course Gallery and in YuJa.
WIRELESS ACCESS FOR ELECTRONIC EXAMS (ON CAMPUS EXAMS)
RU Health Sciences is the primary wireless network for SGS however you can use either RU
Health Sciences or RU Wireless Secure for electronic exams. Please make sure you can connect
to both prior to an exam. See https://ruwireless.rutgers.edu/ruwireless-secure for more
information. DO NOT USE RU Wireless.
EXAMSOFT SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: EXAMSOFT is not used in this course.
ABSENCE FROM COURSE QUIZZES AND EXAMS:
SGS has issued a MISSED EXAM POLICY for students enrolled in their programs. Below are the
valid excuses for missing a quiz or exam in this course (verbatim from the SGS Exam Policy):
1) Significant illness, with official note by doctor, which must include a valid reason for
missing the exam. The doctor’s note cannot result from a remote (online) diagnosis.
NOTE: Illness prior to the exam ("didn’t have time to study") does not constitute a valid
excuse, although exceptions can be given by the SGS Associate Dean of Student Affairs if
the prior illness has been severe or lengthy.
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2) Death in the immediate family (parents, siblings, children, grandparents, aunts/uncles,
niece or nephew, sister-in-law or brother-in-law, parents-in-law, first-cousins).
Verification, with dates, is required, but this can be a newspaper announcement, event
(e.g. wake) announcement, etc.
3) Medical/dental school interview, in which the interview or unavoidable travel overlaps
with the exam. Copy of the invitation letter.
4) Presentation at a meeting. Proof of attendance required.
5) More than two final exams on the same day. (NOTE: An exam should not be
rescheduled for an individual with two exams on the same day). If a student has more
than two exams on the same day, they will need to contact the SGS Associate Dean of
Student Affairs, who will contact the course directors about allowing the student to take
one of the exams on a different day. The vast majority of schools across the country,
including Rutgers New Brunswick, allow up to two final exam in the same day.
6) Permission of SGS Associate Dean of Students Affairs, with consultation of course-
director. This will be rare, but is meant to account for valid, but unforeseen
circumstances.
Each of these reasons will require some form of documentation to be submitted to verify the
absence. For the full policy, please follow this link:
http://njms.rutgers.edu/sgs/current_students/docs/new/ExamPolicy.pdf
CODE OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT (COURSE EXAMINATIONS):
All students have a fundamental responsibility for maintaining academic integrity and
intellectual honesty in their academic and professional endeavors. They are expected to
observe generally accepted principles of scholarly work, to submit their own rather than
another's work, to refrain from falsifying data, to acknowledge the published work of others in
an appropriate manner, and to refrain from receiving or giving aid during examinations or other
work requiring independent effort. When submitting written material, students take full
responsibility for the originality of all work not otherwise identified by appropriate
acknowledgments and imply that both the ideas and words used are their own. All students are
expected to respect the property of faculty and other students, and not use research
equipment or laboratory supplies of others without permission.
Specific examples of appropriate behavior in examinations exams are given below:
Examinations: The purpose of an examination is to assess a student's knowledge of a topic
defined within a course or courses. Unless given explicit written instructions to the contrary, a
student must work without assistance on an examination.
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• Classroom examination: Each student will provide answers to questions as directed.
Unless otherwise stated, no material (books, calculators, computers, communication
devices) of any kind can be used during an examination.
• Take-home examination: Each student will provide answers as directed. Unless
otherwise stated, research and writing must be done individually without assistance or
exchange of information with others. The ability to use source material in the research
of answers will be defined for each examination. But, unless stated otherwise, all source
material should be cited appropriately as outlined below.
NOTE: THESE POLICIES ALSO HOLD TRUE FOR ALL EXAMS ADMINISTERED REMOTELY.
To view the full policy for the Code of Professional Conduct in the School of Graduate studies
regarding examinations, research and oral presentations follow this link:
http://njms.rutgers.edu/sgs/current_students/ac_integ.php
ACADEMIC WARNING POLICY:
http://njms.rutgers.edu/sgs/documents/policys/SGS_Academic_Warning_Policy.pdf
Each program shall clearly inform students of the criteria for satisfactory academic
performance. Academic standing will be reviewed each semester by the Program’s Academic
Standing Committee. Students who receive less than an average grade of “B” in the designated
Core course(s) or have a GPA less than 3.0 will receive an academic warning notice. Students
performing below satisfactory levels of proficiency as outlined by the program may also receive
a written warning notice. The written warning states the problem(s), outlines those measures
needed for improvement and sets a deadline for compliance. Letters informing students of an
academic warning will be sent within 30 calendar days of the end of the semester. A request
will be made to students receiving academic warning letters to meet with the Program Director
and/or the Academic Standing Committee.
COURSE ADD/DROP POLICY:
Policy for the Addition of a Course:
Students may add courses with the approval of the instructor (when required) and the program
director. A student wishing to add a course after the general registration period has closed,
must complete the “Add/Drop/Withdraw” form and have appropriate approval of the course
instructor (when required) and program director prior to the start of the course. Registration
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will not be permitted beyond the first week of a course. Credit will not be given for courses in
which the student was not registered.
Add Course Form Link:
https://na2.docusign.net/Member/PowerFormSigning.aspx?PowerFormId=96fcae95-bc67-
45fb-8da3-11300ded2e99
Policy for Dropping a Course:
Students may drop courses with approval of the instructor (when required) and the program
director. Students submitting a completed “Add/Drop/withdraw” form to the SGS Registrar’s
office within 10 academic days of the start of the course will receive a full tuition refund and
the course will not appear on their official transcript. The drop period of 1-10 *academic days,
is distinguishable from the withdrawal period in that the drop period is without penalty. A
completed and approved Add/Drop/Withdraw” form(s) must be received by the Registrar’s
office within the time periods set forth above in order for a course(s) to be “dropped”.
Drop Course Form Link:
https://na2.docusign.net/Member/PowerFormSigning.aspx?PowerFormId=c45635ca-6a1e-
4936-b436-337b211b8433
*An academic day is defined as a day that the SGS campus at which the student is enrolled is
open for business.
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS AT RUTGERS SCHOOL OF GRADUATE
STUDIES:
Rutgers School of Graduate Studies is committed to providing equitable access to learning
opportunities to students with documented disabilities (e.g. mental health, attentional,
learning, chronic health, sensory, or physical). To ensure access to this please contact Student
Affairs, to engage in a confidential conversation about the process for requesting reasonable
accommodations in the classroom setting. Students are encouraged to register with the Office
of Student Affairs as soon as they begin their program. Accommodations are not provided
retroactively. Rutgers School of Graduate Studies encourages students to access all resources
available through the School for consistent support and access to their program.
More information can be found online at
http://njms.rutgers.edu/education/student_affairs/student_support/disability_services.cfm .
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Rutgers University welcomes students with disabilities into all of the University's educational
programs. In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, a student with a
disability must complete the ODS registration form: https://webapps.rutgers.edu/student-
ods/forms/registration and contact the RBHS Office of Disability Services at 973-972-5396 or
[email protected] to make an appointment for an intake interview. You will
also be asked to provide documentation of your disability:
https://ods.rutgers.edu/students/documentation-guidelines .
If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, the Office of
Disability Services will provide you with a Letter of Accommodations. This Letter will be used to
notify appropriate school personnel about the accommodations you are qualified to receive. To
begin this process, please complete the Registration form on the ODS web site at:
https://webapps.rutgers.edu/student-ods/forms/registration .
TEACHER-LEARNER POLICY RUTGERS SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES:
The Rutgers SGS Newark Health Science Campus strongly believes that teaching and learning
should take place in a climate of mutual respect where students and faculty are equally
responsible for maintaining a professional and collegial environment. An environment where
students are evaluated based upon accomplishment, professionalism and academic
performance. We are committed to maintaining a positive learning environment and the
highest standards of behavior in the teacher-student relationship.
To view the full Teacher-Learner policy for the School of Graduate studies, please follow this
link: https://njms.rutgers.edu/sgs/current_students/docs/Teacher%20Learner%20Policy.pdf
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Course Schedule
Week Date Topic Netter’s Histology Junqueira’s
Chapters Histology
Chapters
1 8/24/2023
Introduction, Cells
1, 2 1-4,
Epithelium Appendix
2 8/31/2023
Connective Tissue 3 5, 6
Blood and Bone Marrow 7 12, 13
3 9/7/2023
Muscle 4 10
Nerve 5 9
4 9/14/2023
Skin (Integumentary System) 11 18
Cartilage and Bone 6 7, 8
5 9/21/2023 Eye and Ear (TBL Quiz) 19-20 23
6 9/28/2023
Cardiovascular System 8 11
Exam Review Review of MC questions and
Virtual Microscope quizzes
7 10/5/2023 Mid-Term Exam
8 10/12/2023 Lymphoid System 9 11, 14
9 10/19/2023 Digestive System (Part 1) 12-14 15, 16
10 10/26/2023 Digestive System (Part 2) 12-14 15, 16
11 11/2/2023 Endocrine System 10 20
12 11/9/2023 Urinary System 16 19
13 11/16/2023 Reproductive System (TBL 17, 18 21, 22
Quiz)
14 11/30/2023 Respiratory System 15 17
Review of MC questions and
Exam Review
Virtual Microscope quizzes
15 12/7/2023 Final Exam
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