For Students

Histological textbooks

These remarks are intended to serve as a guidline for students taking a histology class, in particular I want to discuss the topic of textbooks. It is only natural that every teacher will recommend different textbooks and that every student (rightfully so) will develop its own  preferences. Therefore the textbooks listed below should only be understood as a rough guide. I also want to emphasize that the frequent and attentive (drawings!) work at the microscope cannot be replaced by any textbook.

The final exam at the microscope not only deals with recognizing structures and describing them, but it also requires a functional understanding.  Both aspects of the exam are intimately connected with each other. Please keep in mind the saying attributed to Louis Pasteur "Chance favours only the prepared mind”, so anticipating what to expect does help!

To look something up

Because they contain so many facts, the following textbooks are mostly recom-mended for selective reading.

• Alberts/Heald/Johnson/Morgan/Raff/Roberts/Walter: Molecular biology of the cell. Excellent (but very voluminous) textbook to better understand molecular and cellbiological basic mechanisms. 7th edition, 2024.

• Alberts/Hopkin/Johnson/Morgan/Raff/Roberts/Walter: Textbook of molecular biology.  Somewhat slimmed-down version of the textbook just mentioned.    

• Benninghoff: Anatomie (in 2 volumes). A large textbook on gross anatomy and histology as well as on those aspects of molecular and cell biology, which are relevant in this context.  A new edition of the first volume has appeared at the end of 2008, a new edition of the second volume at the end of 2004.

Textbooks to work through

• Bucher/Wartenberg: Cytology, histology and microscopic anatomy of humans.      

• Junqueira/Carneiro: Histologie. In my opinion at least so far the standard textbook in histology. Recently a new edition with a new concept has come out, which has received a mixed reception.

• Schmidt/Unsicker: Lehrbuch Vorklinik. A textbook in four volumes following a    novel philosophy insofar as anatomy (gross anatomy, histology and neuroanatomy), biochemistry and physiology are discussed together in one chapter.  The first edition has come out in 2003, therefore only very limited experience is available.                    

• Welsch/Kummer: Textbook of histology. After the second edition provided a deep-er mechanistic insight at the molecular and cellbiological level and a higher number of illustrations is again included in comparison to the third edition, this textbook is my recommendation for histology.

Atlas

• Kühnel: Taschenatlas der Zytologie, Histologie und mikroskopischen Anatomie.   Contains text on one page and figures on the facing page. Compact and well-liked when working at the microscope.

• Ross/Rohen/Lütjen-Drecoll: Atlas der Histologie. Simular concept to that of the Kühnel.

Gross anatomy

• Benninghoff:  A large textbook on gross anatomy and histology as well as on those aspects of molecular and cell biology, which are relevant in this context.  A new edition of the first volume has appeared at the end of 2008, a new edition of the second volume at the end of 2004.

• Feneis: Great to look something up, but not suitable for studying.

• Kahle/Leonhardt/Platzer: Good concept with text on one page and schematic dia- grams on the facing page.  Convenient for qick repetitions and also as a start.

• Netter: Competing atlas to the Sobotta - it is almost a matter of taste whether the Netter or Sobotta are better.

• Rohen: Photographic atlas; limited own experience.

• Schiebler: No own experience.

• Schmidt/Unsicker: Lehrbuch Vorklinik.  A textbook in four volumes following a    novel philosophy insofar as anatomy (gross anatomy, histology and neuroanatomy), biochemistry and physiology are discussed together in one chapter.  The first edition has come out in 2003, therefore only very limited experience is available.

• Sobotta: Perhaps still the best atlas.

• Waldeyer: A well-rounded textbook, not as voluminous as the Benninghoff and therefore easier to handle.