Histotechnology

Undergraduate | 2026

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Area/Catalogue
MDST 3004
Course ID icon
Course ID
204231
Level of study
Level of study
Undergraduate
Unit value icon
Unit value
6
Course level icon
Course level
3
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Inbound study abroad and exchange
Inbound study abroad and exchange
The fee you pay will depend on the number and type of courses you study.
No
University-wide elective icon
University-wide elective course
No
Single course enrollment
Single course enrolment
No
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Note:
Course data is interim and subject to change

Course overview

The aim of this course is to provide an understanding of the nature and types of histopathological techniques applied in the diagnosis of disease conditions in body tissues. Specimen collection and handling. Fixation, manual and automated tissue processing, paraffin and plastic embedding, microtomy, procedures for frozen sections. Mountants. Dyes and mechanism of staining, types of haematoxylin, metal impregnation, metachromasia. Theory and application of techniques for connective tissues, lipids, amyloid, microorganisms. Procedures for nucleic acids. Identification and significance of pigments in tissues. Mucin histochemistry. Enzyme histochemistry. Neural tissue techniques. Pathology of skin and gastrointestinal systems. Artefacts of specimen preparation.

Course learning outcomes

  • Perform and report the laboratory procedures used in histopathological identification of normal and diseased tissues.
  • Critically assess and problem solve histopathological techniques.
  • Relate the alterations to normal tissue structure which occur in various disease states to the appropriate diagnostic procedures.

Prerequisite(s)

N/A

Corequisite(s)

N/A

Antirequisite(s)

N/A