Published in 2012, the sixth edition of the textbook “Histology, Embryology, Cytology”, created by a team of leading Russian specialists in histology, headed by one of the famous morphologists of the Soviet Union, Professor Yuli Ivanovich Afanasyev, was in such demand that the number of printed copies could not satisfy the requests not only in the Russian Federation, but also in the CIS countries; so in the next year 2013, the publishing house “GEOTAR-Media” provided an extra issue of the book.
Reviews by specialists in the field of histology, embryology and cytology noted that this edition compares favorably with the previous fifth edition in many respects due to its updated illustrative and informational materials. The credit is undoubtedly due to the science editor of the sixth edition, Professor Danilov. Along with this, suggestions were made when republishing the textbook to most fully present the histological and embryological terms in accordance with “Terminologia Histologica” (Moscow: GEOTAR-Media, 2009) and “Terminologia Embryologica” (Moscow: GEOTAR-Media, 2014) that came out after the publication of the sixth edition, and also to return in the new edition the old sequence of chapters, as it was traditionally and logically represented in its previous five editions, namely: the content and objectives of the course, methods of research in histology, cytology and embryology, the theory of the cell, basics of human embryology, basic concepts of general histology (the doctrine of tissues) and, finally, the histology of organs and systems, including histo- and organogenesis. By the time the students begin to study the structure of tissues, organs and their systems, they must have a clear idea, from which embryonic sources they develop. There were also suggestions to include a new chapter “Medical embryology” in the textbook on the basis of the interdepartmental program on histology compiled by professors Brusilovsky (Crimean Medical Institute), Volkova (Pirogov Medical University), Afanasyev (Sechenov First Moscow Medical Institute), Donskikh (Novosibirsk Medical Institute) and approved by the Main Directorate of Educational Institutions of the Ministry of Health of the USSR on October 28, 1988. This chapter would become a kind of crown concluding the course. However, this issue requires a special discussion at the level of the Central Methodological Commission of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation.
These circumstances as well as requests for an additional print run of the textbook triggered preparation of a new edition, in which the voiced suggestions would be taken into account to the greatest possible extent.
To our great regret, the original team of authors, by whose efforts this textbook was created, suffered an irreparable loss: its editors, Professors Afanasyev and Yurina, Professors Aleshin, Vinnikov, Katinas, Kotovsky, Radostin and Chentsov passed away. However, there is still hope that their work will be in demand for a long time by subsequent generations of students of medical and biological universities learning the basics of morphology and the secrets of human embryonic development. It will also be valuable for teachers training specialists of relevant profiles, as well as for interns, residents and graduate students.
The science editors of the seventh edition of the textbook were tasked with eliminating the detected terminological inaccuracies and typos that occurred in previous editions, clarifying the timing of morphological formation of various organs and systems, especially in their embryonic development, and making adjustments to the presentation of factual material, taking into account the latest scientific evidence.
In this edition, all terms are given in accordance with accepted Russian equivalents given in “Terminologia Histologica” (Moscow: GEOTAR-Media, 2009) and “Terminologia Embryologica” (Moscow: GEOTAR-Media, 2014). Changes have been made to the sequence of chapters and presentation of their subsections. In particular, the chapter “Fundamentals of Human Embryology”, as in the previous five editions, followed the chapter “Cell Doctrine”. In this regard, it logically includes the section “Embryonic histogenesis and organogenesis”, which in the sixth edition was presented in the chapter “Basic concepts of general histology”. Clarifications and additions have been made to the table “Brief calendar of human intrauterine development (with additions according to R.K. Danilov and T.G. Borova, 2003)” taking into account the Carnegie stages recognized by the global community of embryologists in the first 8 weeks (R. O’Rahilly, 1973; R. O’Rahilly, J. Bossy, F. Müller, 1981) and subsequent stages of embryogenesis in accordance with the information presented in “Terminologia Embryologica” (M.: GEOTAR-Media, 2014). Naturally, science does not stand still. There are more and more new data on practical use of autologous stem cells, the possibilities of their directed differentiation towards specific tissues 3D printing of organs for the purpose of transplantation, which will make it possible to avoid their rejection, etc. It looks very promising to obtain induced embryonic stem cells by reprogramming patients’ ordinary somatic cells. Taking this into account as well as the possibilities of stem cell application in regenerative medicine, the new edition presents information about them in the subsection “Tissue regeneration” of Chapter 6 “Basic concepts of general histology”. The chapter “Muscle tissues” received additions with information about myoid cells. In accordance with “Terminologia Histologica” and “Terminologia Embryologica”, the titles of the chapters “Hematopoietic system and immune defense” were changed to “Lymphoid system”; “Skin and its derivatives” was changed to “Integument”. In the latter, the order of the subchapters was changed, besides it received additional subchapters “Reactivity and regeneration of the skin”, “Skin as an organ of touch” and “Skin as an organ of immune defense”.