Histology is clearly among the most visual of the biological science subdisciplines. Tissue architecture must be seen in order to be appreciated and learned. During my 25 years of teaching histology, I have repeatedly encountered a problem which I suspect all who teach histology have faced. I have great difficulty helping students understand a particular microanatomical relationship if those students aren't looking at exactly what I want them to be observing. One approach to solving this problem is to move about the lab, helping individual students understand what they are seeing with their microscopes. Often, however, by the time the scopes are readjusted for differences in individual eyes, what I see and describe to the student may be quite different from what the student is seeing. Even worse, both the student and I believe that my explanation has actually helped, because we thought that we were looking at the same thing. I have been able to reduce this problem somewhat by utilization of Kodachrome slides. By basing my explanations on projected images, I know that students are seeing what I am attempting to explain. There are times, however, when I am unavailable, and Kodachromes are no more self-explanatory than microscope slides. Students would benefit considerably if I had a reliable method of pointing out important histological features in such a manner that both they and I were not only "on the same page", but also in the same corner of that page. The proposed project is an attempt to allow student and professor to be in identical page corners at the same time, even though the professor may not be in the laboratory.

Most of today's students appear to be more comfortable with personal computers than with microscopes. The study of histology might be just a little less alien if the initial introduction to each tissue could take place using digitized, labeled images on computer screens. Also, digitized images would be helpful to students during those times when the professor cannot be in the laboratory. In fact, by accessing the histology web page via personal computers, students would have access to the digitized images 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Finally, digitized images could be used in a variety of reviewing and testing situations.

The proposed project involves preparation of a set of labeled, digitized images of the tissues most commonly studied in undergraduate courses in histology. Southwestern University has purchased the required hardware and software (Olympus Microscope with Trinocular Head; Digital Camera; Computer Hardware; Computer Software) for the project. The images can be accessed through the Southwestern University Biology Department's histology web page. The image set will be available for use in histology and introductory biology courses prior to onset of the Fall, 1998 semester. Thus, the project will be completed during the summer of 1998. Biology faculty at ACS institutions will be informed of availability as project completion approaches. Although not a part of this original proposal, it is probable that ACS faculty who access these images will desire to "tailor" the image set to fit individual needs. This could lead to increased communication and cooperation among biology faculty at ACS institutions. Such cooperation is both anticipated and welcomed.

For reasons explained above, it is anticipated that availability of digitized images will help students understand tissue architecture. What is envisioned is a situation in which students can utilize microscope slides, Kodachrome slides, commercially-available videotapes, digitized images, and expertise of the professor in the study of histology. The digitized image set is an important component of this plan for a number of reasons, perhaps the most important of which is the fact that these images can be accessed at any time by use of personal computers.

Although no controlled experiments to measure impact of this "full time availability via the web" are planned, a student survey will be used to determine extent of use and also to determine how helpful students consider the images on the web to be to them. Biologists at ACS institutions will also be polled.

Appendix A: Contents of Digitized Image Set (100X and 400X)

Epithelium

Connective Tissues

Supportive Tissues

Vascular Tissues

Contractile Tissues, Muscle

Conductive Tissues, Nerve

Appendix B: Future Images

If the digitized images prove helpful, then future plans include addition of images of organs and organ systems (digestive, respiratory, reproductive, cardiovascular, urinary, integumentary, endocrine, etc) to the web page.