Macroscopic identification of tissue structure

introductory practice for health courses

Abstract

Histology and cell biology provide basic knowledge for anatomy, physiology, pathology and other disciplines specific to the study of the human body. However, students entering courses in the health area often do not feel motivated in basic cycle disciplines because they do not initially establish the relationship between the study of structures at the microscopic level and future clinical practice. In this sense, a practice involving the dissection of a chicken leg was carried out in the first practical class of the Cell and Tissue Biology for a Physiotherapy course, in order to identify the main tissues on a macroscopic level, recognizing the appearance, coloring and physical properties such as strength and elasticity, in the fresh material. Next, the students compared the dissected material with photomicrographs to begin associating the macroscopic aspect with histological sections. The experience was positive, and the students were motivated to study the tissues and made the distinction between their previous knowledge, based on common sense, and scientific information, contributing to meaningful learning.