TEST BANK Histology: A Text and Atlas: With
Correlated Cell and Molecular Biology Ninth, North
American Edition By Dr. Wojciech Pawlina, MD,
FAAA
Total Questions: 200
Question Type: Multiple Choice
Answer Key: Correct answer indicated in bold after each question
Rationales: Provided for each correct answer
CHAPTER 1 – METHODS
1. The term "histology" is derived from Greek words meaning:
- A) Study of cells
- B) Study of tissues
- C) Study of organs
- D) Study of diseases
Answer: B
Rationale: Histology comes from the Greek histos (tissue) and logos (study). It is the study of
the microscopic structure of tissues.
2. The most common fixative used in routine histology is:
- A) Ethanol
- B) Formalin (10% neutral buffered formalin)
- C) Glutaraldehyde
- D) Osmium tetroxide
Answer: B
Rationale: 10% neutral buffered formalin is the most commonly used fixative for routine
histology. It preserves tissue by cross-linking proteins. Glutaraldehyde is used for electron
microscopy, and osmium tetroxide is used for lipid preservation.
,3. Which of the following stains is most commonly used for routine histologic examination?
- A) Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)
- B) Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS)
- C) Masson's trichrome
- D) Silver stain
Answer: A
Rationale: Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) is the most widely used stain in routine histology.
Hematoxylin stains nuclei blue/purple (basophilic), while eosin stains cytoplasm and
extracellular matrix pink/red (acidophilic).
4. Hematoxylin is considered a __________ stain because it binds to __________ structures.
- A) Acidophilic; basic
- B) Basophilic; acidic
- C) Acidophilic; acidic
- D) Basophilic; basic
Answer: B
Rationale: Hematoxylin is a basic dye that binds to acidic (basophilic) structures, such as
nucleic acids in the nucleus. Eosin is an acidic dye that binds to basic (acidophilic) structures,
such as cytoplasmic proteins.
5. Which of the following is a basic dye used in histology?
- A) Eosin
- B) Hematoxylin
- C) Orange G
- D) Acid fuchsin
Answer: B
Rationale: Hematoxylin is a basic dye that stains basophilic structures (nuclei, ribosomes, rough
ER). Eosin, Orange G, and acid fuchsin are acidic dyes that stain acidophilic structures
(cytoplasm, collagen).
6. The primary purpose of tissue fixation is to:
- A) Stain the tissue
- B) Preserve tissue structure and prevent autolysis
- C) Section the tissue
- D) Embed the tissue in paraffin
,Answer: B
Rationale: Fixation preserves tissue by cross-linking proteins and preventing autolysis
(self-digestion by enzymes) and putrefaction. It also hardens the tissue for sectioning.
7. Which of the following is the correct order of steps for preparing a tissue for paraffin
sectioning?
- A) Fixation → Embedding → Dehydration → Clearing → Sectioning → Staining
- B) Fixation → Dehydration → Clearing → Embedding → Sectioning → Staining
- C) Dehydration → Fixation → Clearing → Embedding → Sectioning → Staining
- D) Fixation → Clearing → Dehydration → Embedding → Sectioning → Staining
Answer: B
Rationale: The correct sequence is: Fixation → Dehydration (removing water with graded
alcohols) → Clearing (using xylene or other agents) → Embedding (in paraffin) → Sectioning
(microtomy) → Staining.
8. The process of replacing water in a tissue with a substance that is miscible with paraffin is
called:
- A) Fixation
- B) Dehydration
- C) Clearing
- D) Embedding
Answer: C
Rationale: Clearing is the process of replacing the dehydrating agent (e.g., alcohol) with a
clearing agent (e.g., xylene) that is miscible with paraffin, allowing the tissue to be infiltrated with
paraffin.
9. A microtome is used to:
- A) Fix tissue samples
- B) Stain tissue sections
- C) Cut thin sections of embedded tissue
- D) Mount sections on slides
Answer: C
Rationale: A microtome is an instrument used to cut extremely thin sections (typically 4-10 μm)
of paraffin-embedded or frozen tissue for microscopic examination.
, 10. Which of the following is a metachromatic stain used to identify mast cell granules and
cartilage?
- A) Hematoxylin
- B) Eosin
- C) Toluidine blue
- D) Silver nitrate
Answer: C
Rationale: Toluidine blue is a metachromatic stain that stains mast cell granules and cartilage
matrix purple (metachromasia) rather than blue (orthochromasia). It is useful for identifying
these structures.
11. The periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) reaction stains which of the following?
- A) Lipids
- B) Nucleic acids
- C) Carbohydrates (glycogen, glycoproteins)
- D) Proteins
Answer: C
Rationale: The PAS reaction stains carbohydrates, including glycogen, glycoproteins, and
mucopolysaccharides, by oxidizing vicinal diols to aldehydes, which then react with Schiff's
reagent to produce a magenta color.
12. Which stain is used to demonstrate elastic fibers?
- A) Hematoxylin and eosin
- B) Masson's trichrome
- C) Verhoeff's elastic stain
- D) Periodic acid-Schiff
Answer: C
Rationale: Verhoeff's elastic stain is a specific stain used to demonstrate elastic fibers, staining
them black or dark blue. Masson's trichrome stains collagen blue/green and muscle red.
13. Masson's trichrome stain is used to distinguish:
- A) Nuclei from cytoplasm
Correlated Cell and Molecular Biology Ninth, North
American Edition By Dr. Wojciech Pawlina, MD,
FAAA
Total Questions: 200
Question Type: Multiple Choice
Answer Key: Correct answer indicated in bold after each question
Rationales: Provided for each correct answer
CHAPTER 1 – METHODS
1. The term "histology" is derived from Greek words meaning:
- A) Study of cells
- B) Study of tissues
- C) Study of organs
- D) Study of diseases
Answer: B
Rationale: Histology comes from the Greek histos (tissue) and logos (study). It is the study of
the microscopic structure of tissues.
2. The most common fixative used in routine histology is:
- A) Ethanol
- B) Formalin (10% neutral buffered formalin)
- C) Glutaraldehyde
- D) Osmium tetroxide
Answer: B
Rationale: 10% neutral buffered formalin is the most commonly used fixative for routine
histology. It preserves tissue by cross-linking proteins. Glutaraldehyde is used for electron
microscopy, and osmium tetroxide is used for lipid preservation.
,3. Which of the following stains is most commonly used for routine histologic examination?
- A) Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)
- B) Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS)
- C) Masson's trichrome
- D) Silver stain
Answer: A
Rationale: Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) is the most widely used stain in routine histology.
Hematoxylin stains nuclei blue/purple (basophilic), while eosin stains cytoplasm and
extracellular matrix pink/red (acidophilic).
4. Hematoxylin is considered a __________ stain because it binds to __________ structures.
- A) Acidophilic; basic
- B) Basophilic; acidic
- C) Acidophilic; acidic
- D) Basophilic; basic
Answer: B
Rationale: Hematoxylin is a basic dye that binds to acidic (basophilic) structures, such as
nucleic acids in the nucleus. Eosin is an acidic dye that binds to basic (acidophilic) structures,
such as cytoplasmic proteins.
5. Which of the following is a basic dye used in histology?
- A) Eosin
- B) Hematoxylin
- C) Orange G
- D) Acid fuchsin
Answer: B
Rationale: Hematoxylin is a basic dye that stains basophilic structures (nuclei, ribosomes, rough
ER). Eosin, Orange G, and acid fuchsin are acidic dyes that stain acidophilic structures
(cytoplasm, collagen).
6. The primary purpose of tissue fixation is to:
- A) Stain the tissue
- B) Preserve tissue structure and prevent autolysis
- C) Section the tissue
- D) Embed the tissue in paraffin
,Answer: B
Rationale: Fixation preserves tissue by cross-linking proteins and preventing autolysis
(self-digestion by enzymes) and putrefaction. It also hardens the tissue for sectioning.
7. Which of the following is the correct order of steps for preparing a tissue for paraffin
sectioning?
- A) Fixation → Embedding → Dehydration → Clearing → Sectioning → Staining
- B) Fixation → Dehydration → Clearing → Embedding → Sectioning → Staining
- C) Dehydration → Fixation → Clearing → Embedding → Sectioning → Staining
- D) Fixation → Clearing → Dehydration → Embedding → Sectioning → Staining
Answer: B
Rationale: The correct sequence is: Fixation → Dehydration (removing water with graded
alcohols) → Clearing (using xylene or other agents) → Embedding (in paraffin) → Sectioning
(microtomy) → Staining.
8. The process of replacing water in a tissue with a substance that is miscible with paraffin is
called:
- A) Fixation
- B) Dehydration
- C) Clearing
- D) Embedding
Answer: C
Rationale: Clearing is the process of replacing the dehydrating agent (e.g., alcohol) with a
clearing agent (e.g., xylene) that is miscible with paraffin, allowing the tissue to be infiltrated with
paraffin.
9. A microtome is used to:
- A) Fix tissue samples
- B) Stain tissue sections
- C) Cut thin sections of embedded tissue
- D) Mount sections on slides
Answer: C
Rationale: A microtome is an instrument used to cut extremely thin sections (typically 4-10 μm)
of paraffin-embedded or frozen tissue for microscopic examination.
, 10. Which of the following is a metachromatic stain used to identify mast cell granules and
cartilage?
- A) Hematoxylin
- B) Eosin
- C) Toluidine blue
- D) Silver nitrate
Answer: C
Rationale: Toluidine blue is a metachromatic stain that stains mast cell granules and cartilage
matrix purple (metachromasia) rather than blue (orthochromasia). It is useful for identifying
these structures.
11. The periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) reaction stains which of the following?
- A) Lipids
- B) Nucleic acids
- C) Carbohydrates (glycogen, glycoproteins)
- D) Proteins
Answer: C
Rationale: The PAS reaction stains carbohydrates, including glycogen, glycoproteins, and
mucopolysaccharides, by oxidizing vicinal diols to aldehydes, which then react with Schiff's
reagent to produce a magenta color.
12. Which stain is used to demonstrate elastic fibers?
- A) Hematoxylin and eosin
- B) Masson's trichrome
- C) Verhoeff's elastic stain
- D) Periodic acid-Schiff
Answer: C
Rationale: Verhoeff's elastic stain is a specific stain used to demonstrate elastic fibers, staining
them black or dark blue. Masson's trichrome stains collagen blue/green and muscle red.
13. Masson's trichrome stain is used to distinguish:
- A) Nuclei from cytoplasm
