On the welcome page of the dictionary, three major sections are shown: Normal tissues, Cancer and Cell structure. Below the image of each section are links to introductory texts for i) normal tissue histology, ii) hallmarks of cancer, and iii) cell structure overview. For the cancer-section there is also a link to current cancer statistics (incidence, survival, etc) for Sweden and the rest of the world. Within each section there are direct links to histology descriptions of different tissue types and tumor forms as well as descriptions of cell structures.
For the 'Tissue & cell types' and 'Tumor' sections, tissue-slides stained with hematoxylin and eosin (HE) are shown at three different levels of magnification. On the top level, an overview of the whole tissue-sample is shown with boxes in black indicating where zoomed-in representative parts of the tissue are available for viewing. Clicking on these boxes will zoom in on that part to show tissue structures, cells and features in greater detail. Throughout these sections, arrows indicate relevant tissue structures, cell-types and other features.
For the 'Cell structure' section, immunofluorescent images of formaldehyde-fixed cell lines are shown. The various cell structures that are demonstrated are always shown in the green channel using an antibody found in the Human Protein Atlas. The antibody name is linked to the subcellular location summary page of the target gene. The other channels: nucleus, microtubules and endoplasmic reticulum, are always shown in the blue, red and yellow channels, respectively. The channels can be toggled on and off by clicking on the respective coloured button above the image. When applicable, the immunofluorescent images are complemented by immunohistochemically stained cells where the location of the particular cell structure is shown in brown.
A common feature for all sections is that a general descriptive text about the tissue, tumor-type or cell structure is provided when browsing a particular topic.
The endometrium lines the uterine corpus and exhibits two chief constituents ? the endometrialglands and endometrialstroma. The inactive, prepubertal endometrium shows a cuboidal to low columnar epithelium that lines the surface and the underlying glands. The appearance greatly resembles the inactive endometrium seen in postmenopausal women, as both prepubertal and postmenopausal endometria do not exhibit any proliferative or secretory changes that are hormone dependent. The endometrium in the reproductive female may be considered to comprise of a deeper basal layer and a superficial functional layer. The functional layer is subdivided into two strata ? the compactum (towards the surface) and the spongiosum (towards the basalis).
With the onset of menarche, the menstrual cycle follows three well-defined phases, each exhibiting a distinct morphology. The phases seen in a classic 28-day cycle are distributed as follows:
Day 1-5 Menstrual Phase
Day 5-14 Proliferative Phase
Day 14-15 Ovulation
Day 15-28 Secretory Phase
The first day of bleeding is considered Day 1 of the cycle and heralds the onset of the menstrual phase. The superficial functional layer undergoes necrosis and is accompanied by a neutrophilic infiltrate. During the proliferative phase the endometrial glands, stroma and vascular endothelium all proliferate leading to an increased volume of the endometrium. The glands are lined by a stratifiedcolumnarepithelium with interspersed ciliatedcells. The epithelium contains mitotic cells and increase in tortuosity in the mid and late proliferative phase. The stromal edema is most marked at the mid-proliferative phase. During the proliferative phase, daily morphologic alterations are not sufficiently obvious to permit accurate dating. At the secretoryphase the daily changes during the postovulatory period are sufficiently distinct to permit accurate evaluation of the endometrial cycle. Parameters including subnuclear vacuolation, nuclear palisading, stromal edema, ferning of glandular epithelium, perivascular and stromal decidualisation and neutrophilic infiltrate can all be used to define the exact day of the cycle. However, endometrial dating, even in experienced hands is not highly reproducible. When accurately performed, endometrial dating provides valuable information.
