Duration
21h Th, 30h Pr
Number of credits
| Bachelor in veterinary medicine | 5 crédits |
Lecturer
Coordinator
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the second semester
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
The course on Histology of the Epithelia and the Musculoskeletal System aims to describe the various healthy tissues of the animal body. These tissues, organized into organs, enable the organs to perform their functions within the animal body.
The course covers:
1) simple, pseudostratified, stratified, and glandular epithelia.
2) typical and specialized connective tissues (tendons, cartilage, bone)
3) muscle tissues.
Their structural, ultrastructural, and functional characteristics will be discussed.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
Theoretical course:
Knowledge
The objective of the theoretical course is to teach students about the morphological and functional characteristics of the various tissues mentioned above.
Know-how
Starting from a purely descriptive approach, students must be able to establish a relationship between the morphology observed and the function of the cells and tissues that make up the organ they are studying.
Interpersonal skills
The availability of virtual histological slides on the eCampus platform allows students to work in groups, exchange their points of view, develop critical thinking skills, and encourage mutual support.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
No prerequisites other than a good knowledge of basic biological concepts.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
Theoretical concepts will be taught during the second quadrimester.
Practical histology sessions (TP) will be organized during the second quadrimester to complement the theoretical course.
Objectives of the practical sessions
At the end of the practical sessions, students should be able to identify and describe the cellular morphology and tissue organization of the different tissues that have been studied in the module, regardless of the histological staining used. They will also be able to establish the relationships between the histological/cytological structures observed and their functions.
General organisation:
The Histology practicals sessions for the second quadrimester are mandatory and are conducted in a hybrid format.
Sessions involving scanned slides are held remotely or in person according to the "Celcat" schedule.
The other sessions (microscope exercises and review sessions) are held in person.
Each slide-based session (whether in-person or online) must be validated by a formative assessment with a minimum score of 14/20. This validation is required to proceed to the next session. Failure to validate an online session before the "microscope practice session" is considered an unexcused absence.
Organization of sessions:
The lab sessions are divided into three major themes:
- Epithelial and glandular tissues
- Connective and muscle tissues
- Electron microscopy
- Sessions using scanned slides
In the eCampus course platform, students have access to a learning path that includes histological slides digitized in Cytomine, explanatory video clips on the subject matter, and practical lab materials.
Students must identify and annotate the tissues, cells, and histological structures of interest on the digitized slides and/or create a personal image library. The annotation layers on the digitized slides may be reviewed by teaching assistants for feedback purposes. The session will be considered complete upon passing a formative assessment available in the eCampus online platform. Two of the skills targeted by this program are independence and self-assessment.
- Microscope practicals Sessions:
It will be devoted to addressing any remaining questions from the online work, conducting microscope exercises, and taking an online certification quiz (see below) on the theoretical and practical material covered during the thematic period.
-
Review Sessions:
The rehearsal session is an active review of the material covered during the thematic period in the form of a simulated formative oral exam (identification, description, structure-function relationships, connection to theoretical material), under the supervision of Professor L. Grobet and his teaching assistants. A general evaluation and feedback will be provided to the students who are tested.
Absences and supporting documents:
Any absence or late arrival for practical classes must be justified before the start of the class by email sent to the secretary of the Department of Morphology-Pathology at the following address: Nathalie.Guillaume@uliege.be).
A valid medical certificate or any other official certificate/attestation is required to justify the absence. Students may be refused entry to the theory exam if they have more than one unjustified absences during the second quadrimester sessions.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Blended learning
Further information:
In-person for theoretical courses, hybrid for related practical work.
Course materials and recommended or required readings
Platform(s) used for course materials:
- eCampus
Further information:
Platform(s) used for course materials:
- eCampus
Additional information:
PDF files and video clips are available to students on e-campus.
Textbook or references:
Applied veterinary histology - William Banks-Third edition- 1993 Mosby.
Wheather's Functional Histology, a text & colour atlas, Geraldine O'Dowd, Sarah Bell, Sylvia Wright, 7th edition, 2023, Elsevier.
Stevens & Lowe's Human Histology, James S. Lowe, Peter G. Anderson, Susan I. Anderson, 6th edition, 2025, Elsevier
Websites:
http://www.medvet.umontreal.ca/histologie
http://www.chups.jussieu.fr/polys/histo
http://www.udel.edu/Biology/Wags/histopage/histopage.htm
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
written exam ( multiple-choice questionnaire )
Out-of-session test(s)
Further information:
Exam(s) during the session
The following applies to all sessions.
The theoretical assessment consists of:
- certification tests organized prior to three practical work sessions,
- and a written exam in person in the form of multiple-choice questions.
The practical part is assessed during an in-person written exam.
Additional explanations:
Two certification tests are organized in person using online tools (multiple-choice questions, true/false questions, matching tests, diagrams to label, etc.) during the first in-person practical work session of the following weeks:
- Week 1: This week covers the theory of epithelial lining and glandular epithelia.
- Week 2 : This covers the theory of connective tissue and muscle tissue.
End-of-quadrimester assessment (first session):
- The assessment of the theoretical part consists of a written exam consisting of multiple-choice questions. This assessment accounts for 50% of the overall grade.
- The practical assessment consists of a written exam, based on observation of histological slides in a printed or digitalized format and/or on a microscope. The student should be able to comment and identify cells, tissues, and vessels on the histological preparations that may - or may not - have been observed during the practical sessions.
Simply identifying tissues is not sufficient to pass: students must be able to apply their theoretical and practical knowledge. The grade obtained in the practical exam accounts for 40% of the final mark.
In the second session (third quadrimester), the exam procedures and the distribution of points remain the same. Points from tests taken during the year will also be taken into account the same way.
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
Contacts
Professors:
Luc Grobet (coordinator) : lgrobet@uliege.be
Vinciane Toppets : vtoppets@uliege.be
Assistants:
Aude Blanquer: Aude.Blanquer@uliege.be
Benoit Vandenhove: B.Vandenhove@uliege.be
Phone : +32 4 366 40 82
Administrative assistant (absences and certificates):
Nathalie Guillaume:
Nathalie.Guillaume@uliege.be
Phone: +32 4 366 40 75 (secretariat)