Normal Histology
What You'll Learn
- The resident cells of the nervous system and how to recognize each
- Normal appearance of every compartment you'll be shown — cortex, white matter, basal ganglia, cerebellum, brainstem, cord, nerve, muscle, vessels, meninges
- The normal features that are easy to over-call as pathology (oligodendrocyte halos, corpora amylacea, neuromelanin)
What You'll Learn
| Cell | Appearance | Marker | Role |
|---|
| Neuron | Large cell, open nucleus + prominent nucleolus, Nissl-rich cytoplasm | NeuN, synaptophysin, NSE | Excitable signaling cell; size/shape varies by region (pyramidal, Purkinje, motor) |
| Astrocyte | Star-shaped; pale nucleus; processes to vessels (foot processes) | GFAP | Homeostasis, BBB, glial scar; reactive forms hypertrophy |
| Oligodendrocyte | Small round nucleus, perinuclear clear halo (artifact); rows in white matter | Olig2 | CNS myelination |
| Microglia | Small elongated (“rod”) nucleus; inconspicuous when resting | CD68, Iba1 | Resident macrophage/immune surveillance |
| Ependyma | Cuboidal-columnar ciliated cells lining ventricles | GFAP, EMA (dot) | Line ventricles/central canal |
What You'll Learn
| Structure | Normal you must know |
|---|
| Cortex | 6 layers; pyramidal neurons III/V vulnerable |
| Cerebellum | Molecular / Purkinje (single row) / granular |
| Hippocampus | CA1 = Sommer sector, most hypoxia-vulnerable |
| Substantia nigra | Neuromelanin-pigmented neurons (lost in PD) |
| Oligodendrocyte halo / corpora amylacea | Normal — do not over-call |
| Muscle | Polygonal fibers, peripheral nuclei, checkerboard I/II |
| Arachnoid cap cells | Origin of meningioma |
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