معلومات المقرر

Cells are the basic units of life, and a good knowledge of this small compartment is essential for a better understanding of the functioning of all organisms. Cytophysiology is the study of the cell, including its morphology, chemical, physical and physiological properties, and its evolution.

To be able to study the cell and its physiology, it has to be brought to light and then observed, and this can only be done with the help of equipment, tools, techniques and preparations.

In this tutorial booklet, we present the various apparatus, methods and techniques used to study the morphology and function of cells.

The tutorial chapters presented here have been selected from the new syllabus for first-year veterinary students in the Cytology and Cell Physiology module, as a complement to classroom teaching, i.e. new scientific information and techniques have been added to enrich the knowledge associated with this program.

This booklet has been drawn up in accordance with the new curriculum of the National Education Committee. It is divided into six chapters, which will be covered during the first semester, starting with Chapter 1, which deals with the microscope, a tool which has revolutionized the microscopic world and has effectively contributed to the understanding of many physiological phenomena and also to the understanding of diseases. This is followed by a comparison between two types of microscope, the light and the electron microscope, and a reminder of the advantages and disadvantages of each of these two instruments. Chapter 2 describes techniques for preparing histological and/or cytological sections, enabling very detailed studies to be carried out. Chapter 3 describes a number of techniques linked to electron microscopy, such as negative staining, shading and cryo-stripping. The fourth chapter deals with autoradiography, one of the methods used to detect cellular compounds. Chapter 5 presents methods for demonstrating the lateral movement of proteins, namely immunostaining techniques and pH variation technique. Finally, chapter 6 describes some techniques for separating cellular organelles, their principles, and their applications; namely the different ultracentrifugation techniques.

These various chapters are accompanied and illustrated by micrographs, diagrams, figures and tables to help the student assimilate and make comprehension easier.

The aim of this Cyto-Physio-Cellular tutorial booklet is to help first-year students understand and describe tools for observing cells and their components, as well as cell preparation techniques for observing structures at cellular and molecular levels. This workbook also enables them to learn about and understand the various biological methods that demonstrate the fluidity of membranes and some techniques for separating cellular organelles, namely ultracentrifugation techniques.