Histology and Cytology; Branches of Medicine Essential for the Diagnosis of Various Diseases
Histology and cytology seek to describe especially the
structure of the tissues (histology) and cells (cytology) of animals and
plants. Cytology is the study of individual cells of the body, as opposed to
histology which is the study of whole human tissue itself. Cytology generally
looks at a single cell type, while histology is the exam of an entire block of
tissue. Histology deals with the study of diseases, disorders, and
abnormalities. It is concerned with the description and classification of the
human body at all ages. It provides vital information for health studies and
medical diagnosis.
Cytology is a major branch of medicine that studies the
physiology and organization of various types of cells. Cytology can be broadly
divided into several sub-topics that include the study of cellular
communication, cytotoxicity, enzyme activity, gene regulation, and cell
biology. In addition, cytology has recently made great progress with the
discoveries of certain types of cancer therapies and genetic engineering. The
major focus of cytology is on the structure and functions of various kinds of
body cells. Both histology and cytology are essential for diagnosis of
diseases, such as oral cancer, cervical cancer, rabies, smallpox, and others.
Moreover, both histology
and cytology are essential for the development of novel diagnostics for
cancer. Thus, with the increasing prevalence of cancer worldwide, the demand
for safe and effective cancer treatment is also increasing. According to the American
Cancer Society, in 2021, there will be an estimated 1.9 million new cancer
cases diagnosed and 608,570 cancer deaths in the United States. This in turn is
expected to increase the number of research and development activities for the
development of novel diagnostics for cancer.
Cytology is different from histology. Cytology refers to the
branches of biology and medicine that are concerned with the structure and
function of plant and animal cells, while histology refers to the study of the
microscopic structure of tissues.
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