Skin

Sample taken from a skin biopsy

This is a Histotechnological stain applied on skin tissue which includes a hair follicle. The actual name of this stain is Hematoxylin and Eosin (better known as H&E). It is a routine stain applied to tissues received in the Histopathology lab. ALL tissues removed from patients (surgical, biopsy, autopsy) are sent to the Histopathology lab.

Once received in the lab, medical laboratory professionals put the samples through a series of processes, including staining. After applying stains, the tissue components will pick up the dye in the staining solution making them visible under the microscope. The medical laboratory professional ensures the samples are processed correctly before handing them to a pathologist for a diagnosis. This is the only way the tissues from the patient can be diagnosed; through the visualization of the tissue architecture by the pathologist.

H&E Stained

Not Stained

courtesy of The Michener Institute Histology Faculty

Red Blood Cells

Sample taken from a vein

Blood can tell many stories. Blood tests are often ordered through a routine health exam or when there are symptoms that require further investigation.

A medical laboratory professional will view the prepared blood sample under a microscope. How the blood cells appear is important information used in diagnosis.

Anemic Blood

Normal Blood

Credit: Sysmex Corporation

Bacterial Infections

Sample taken from the throat

Bacteria grow in your body causing an infection, making you feel ill or in pain. A very common bacterial infection is strep throat, caused by a group A streptococcal infection.

Your doctor or nurse will take a throat swab to get a sample of the bacteria cells in your throat. Then the sample is sent to the lab to grow the bacteria to determine the type, in order to know the treatment.

A medical laboratory professional will take a very small part of the sample and touch it to a petri dish that has been treated to enable bacteria growth. They will then use a small, sterile instrument to spread the cells around the dish, this is called streaking. It helps to separate as many cells as possible.

Once the bacteria begins to grow it may look like this in the petri dish.

courtesy of bacteriainphotos.com

The medical laboratory professional will then take a small part of the growing bacteria and process it, including staining (or adding colour) in order to view the cells under a microscope. This helps determine what strain or type of bacteria is present and which antibiotic will treat it.

Liver

Sample taken from a liver biopsy

Depending on the results of blood work and ultrasounds, a primary physician may recommend a liver biopsy. This might be for patients with a history of alcohol abuse or those who have had a hepatitis infection at one point.  They will likely have their liver function monitored by a specialist on a regular basis so that cirrhosis will not ensue or progress further.

In this sample we see adipose tissue (fat) infiltrating the normal architecture of the liver specimen, seen as the large white cells. The presence of fat amongst the normal liver architecture is a tell-tale sign that you are visualizing a progressed disease. A fatty liver can be the result of several diseases or disorders including alcohol abuse, obesity and hepatitis.

H & E Stained

Not Stained

courtesy of The Michener Institute Histology Faculty

A medical laboratory professional would process the biopsy sample in order for a pathologist to make a visual diagnosis. You can see the importance of staining a sample, in order to see the various structures.

Heart Attack

Diagnosed through blood tests

Osteoblasts

Sample taken from a bone biopsy

Osteoblasts are one of the cell types that form bone. They are seen here in a bone biopsy. A biopsy might be performed to check for infection, cancer or other bone diseases. This image is of normal bone that has been decalcified (removal of the hard calcium), processed and stained (coloured) by laboratory professionals and magnified under a microscope. It will be given to a pathologist for examine and possible diagnosis.

Human Papilloma Virus

Sample taken from a pap smear

This image shows squamous epithelial cells infected with Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). These cells are from a Pap test (Papanicolaou test). This routine test involves taking a sample from a woman's cervix to screen for cervical cancer. The sample is processed, stained (coloured) and examined by laboratory professionals.

Urinary Tract Infection

Sample taken from a urine sample

Bacteria are everywhere! These single cell organisms live and grow in our bodies at all times. The majority of bacteria are healthy and assist in keeping our bodies functioning correctly. These include bacteria in our digestive systems and on our skin that help protect our immune system. Sometimes bacteria are harmful and can cause infections and diseases.

The laboratory can take a sample of the bacteria in question and  grow it in the ideal conditions to see what forms. Once grown, the bacteria is categorized and a diagnosis can be made and appropriate treatment can begin.

courtesy of 2^nd year students at The Michener Institute: EJ Lazaga and Stephen Yee

In this short video we can see the bacteria growing in an incubated chromomogenic media over 18 hours. The larger pink colonies are Escherichia coli (E. coli) and the smaller blue colonies are Enterococcus faecalis. Both organisms are common in urinary tract infections and can be a life threatening highly antibacterial resistant strain.

Pleural Fluid

Sample taken from pleural space

Pleural fluid is found in the membranes surrounding your lungs. It's normal to have a small amount of this fluid as it helps us breathe normally. With certain diseases such as lung cancer, too much fluid is produced. This is a picture of pleural fluid from someone with metastatic lung cancer. The large purple cell in the middle is a cancerous cell. Laboratory professionals prepare, stain and examine this type of fluid and identify the cells found in it. If a cell looks suspicious it is referred to a pathologist for final diagnosis.

Renal Tubules

Sample taken from a kidney biopsy

Renal tubules are the small tubes found in your kidneys that contain fluid filtered by the kidneys. As fluid travels through these tubules it is further filtered. Anything your body requires such as water, electrolytes, glucose and amino acids are kept and anything that is not needed is excreted as urine. This image is of a normal renal tubule has been processed and stained (coloured) by laboratory professionals and magnified under a microscope. A renal tubule may appear abnormal in diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus or with kidney failure.

Tissue Biopsy

Sample taken from a biopsy

Sometimes diagnosing the cause of illness can require several tests. The combination of results from x-ray, ultrasound and blood testing might only provide part of the story. Your doctor may need a closer look at what's happening under the skin surface and that will lead to a tissue biopsy.

A sample of tissue is removed from the body (biopsy) and is prepared for visual analysis under the microscope by a pathologist. A medical laboratory professional in the histology lab, performs several steps to ensure the sample is prepared correctly for the most accurate results.

Step 1: The tissue is processed to dehydrate it and then embedded into a wax mold.

Step 2: The wax-embedded tissue is sliced very finely to reveal deeper layers

Step 3: The thin layers of wax-embedded tissue is mounted on a microscope slide and stained to enhance details

Step 4: The slide is viewed under the microscope where normal and abnormal cells can be viewed.

Urinalysis

Analysis of urine is a very common lab test as it can provide a host of information.