a-short-review-of-histology

Magnification:

The cells from which our tissues and organs are constructed are found in a range of sizes and shapes
The ovoid blood platelets are 3-4 microns in length, red blood cells are 8 microns in diameter, adipose (fat) cells and some nerve cell bodies exceed lOO microns
Some muscle cells may be several millimeters in length although their cross-sectional (transverse) diameter may be under 50 microns
It is always useful to be aware of the magnification of the histological image that you are studying
This may aid identification of the structures or help in assessing whether the structure being examined is of normal or abnormal dimensions
It is standard practice in medical and scientific literature to indicate the magnification of histological images
This is usually using a micron marker -a line whose length represents the distance indicated ie. in an image magnified 1000 times a 1cm line would represent a distance of 10 microns
Alternatively, the magnification factor may be given as a number, eg x1000, although for most people, even experienced histologists, this has limited practical value in the interpretation of size in a micrograph