Cytology is the foundation of medical and biological education. In this section, we will analyze the initial steps of cell science and find out how exactly researchers managed to peer inside living systems, laying the groundwork for modern histology and pathomorphology.
The material is divided into two basic topics. The first is the history of cell study: from a cork plug under Robert Hooke's homemade microscope to the formation of modern cell theory. The second is research methods: principles of light and electron microscopy, fractionation (centrifugation), chromatography, and the radioactive tracer method.
Please note: during colloquia, instructors most often ask about the classical and modern postulates of cell theory (especially Rudolf Virchow's addition) and require justification for choosing a specific method. For example, you may be asked how best to separate mitochondria from nuclei, or why a light microscope is not suitable for studying ribosomes. This section is written so that you can answer these questions on the fly.