Even without lectures and exams, the atlas, slide sets, and lab materials available in this resource are excellent supplements for a histology course. The lab component is particularly usefel, with step-by-step written instructions on how to run each lab. The lab component could entirely replace a histology lab.
FULL DESCRIPTION
This online histology atlas is free. The pictures are labelled in text and audio, and can be magnified. The main objective is to recognize and understand the function of normal cells and tissues. The website has the option to search for objects or slides using keywords. It also includes practice exercises. Certain features, such as the virtual microscope and lectures, can only be accessed using University of Illinois credentials.
The programmed lab activity is a great resource, which could be run by non-histology faculty. It includes step-by-step written instructions that refer the slide sets in the Atlas. Students can complete a lab by having the instructions open while using the slide functions.
Topics include Blood, Connective Tissue & Epithelium, Muscle and Cardiovascular System, Lymphoid Tissue and Skin, Respiratory System, Bone and Cartilage, GI Tract, Liver, Pancreas & Gall Bladder, Urinary System, Endocrine System, Reproductive System, and Nervous Tissue & Special Senses.
FACULTY TIME REQUIREMENTS
This could replace a laboratory component of a histology course, and could even be run with non-Histology faculty. A medical school who adopted this would still have to provide the lectures, as these are not publically available.
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
This website has a Google Speed score of 97/100, which is a good indicator as the site is very simple and runs very smoothly. Up to date Java is necessary to use the microscopic image functions. There is no option to download images, so working offline is not an option.
More to read: University of Wisconsin’s Gross Anatomy Dissections
