Question

date ____ pd ____
epithelial tissue biopsies
you are an extraordinary forgetful lab technician at princeton medical hospital. working in the histology department you are responsible for identifying the tissues and looking for signs of abnormalities from biopsies. a biopsy is a small sample taken from a patient’s organ if the attending physician thinks there might be something abnormal. you have recently gotten into a netflix binge and while working night shift you down 2 monsters, and a cappuccino to stay awake. your brain is so hopped up on caffeine you mix up your patient’s samples. can you identify the correct tissues before your caffeine high runs out?
patient 1: 56 year old female; biopsy from alveolar sac; trouble breathing
patient 2: 43 year old male; biopsy from kidney; shows signs of possible kidney failure
patient 3: 28 year old female, biopsy from stomach; has intense stomach pains, possible ulcer
patient 4: 32 year old male, biopsy from left shoulder; abnormal growth removed
patient 5: 34 year old male, biopsy from bladder; has stage 3 bladder cancer
patient 6: 27 year old female, biopsy from fallopian tubes; has been trying to get pregnant for 4 yrs
sample 1
patient # ______
type of epithelial tissue ______________________
function of organ:
how does the epithelial cell shape aid in the organ function?
sample 2
patient # ______
type of epithelial tissue ______________________
function of organ:
how does the epithelial cell shape aid in the organ function?

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each patient's biopsy site and match with epithelial tissue types:

Sample 1 (Assuming it’s columnar epithelium, e.g., stomach):

• Patient #: 3 (28yo Female, stomach biopsy, possible ulcer). Stomach has simple columnar epithelium.
• Type of Epithelial Tissue: Simple Columnar Epithelium.
• Function of Organ: Stomach digests food (secretes enzymes, absorbs nutrients).
• Cell Shape Aid: Columnar cells have microvilli/goblet cells; microvilli increase surface area for absorption, goblet cells secrete mucus to protect from acid.

Sample 2 (Assuming it’s transitional epithelium, e.g., bladder):

• Patient #: 5 (34yo Male, bladder cancer). Bladder has transitional epithelium.
• Type of Epithelial Tissue: Transitional Epithelium.
• Function of Organ: Bladder stores urine.
• Cell Shape Aid: Transitional cells stretch (change shape) to accommodate urine volume changes, maintaining barrier integrity.

(Note: For other samples, use similar logic: match biopsy site to organ’s epithelial tissue (e.g., alveolar sac → simple squamous, kidney tubules → simple cuboidal, shoulder skin → stratified squamous, fallopian tubes → ciliated columnar).)

Answer:

To solve this, we analyze each patient's biopsy site and match with epithelial tissue types:

Sample 1 (Assuming it’s columnar epithelium, e.g., stomach):

• Patient #: 3 (28yo Female, stomach biopsy, possible ulcer). Stomach has simple columnar epithelium.
• Type of Epithelial Tissue: Simple Columnar Epithelium.
• Function of Organ: Stomach digests food (secretes enzymes, absorbs nutrients).
• Cell Shape Aid: Columnar cells have microvilli/goblet cells; microvilli increase surface area for absorption, goblet cells secrete mucus to protect from acid.

Sample 2 (Assuming it’s transitional epithelium, e.g., bladder):

• Patient #: 5 (34yo Male, bladder cancer). Bladder has transitional epithelium.
• Type of Epithelial Tissue: Transitional Epithelium.
• Function of Organ: Bladder stores urine.
• Cell Shape Aid: Transitional cells stretch (change shape) to accommodate urine volume changes, maintaining barrier integrity.

(Note: For other samples, use similar logic: match biopsy site to organ’s epithelial tissue (e.g., alveolar sac → simple squamous, kidney tubules → simple cuboidal, shoulder skin → stratified squamous, fallopian tubes → ciliated columnar).)