The next edition of the textbook prepared by a team of authors headed by one of the famous histologists of the USSR, Professor Yuli Ivanovich Afanasyev, reflects the high level of training aids developed by leading domestic specialists in histology that are necessary for understanding the basic natural processes of development and reactivity of organs and tissues not only by students within the curriculum, but also by graduate students, teachers and doctors. The textbook as part of a unified methodological system, which was developed by Professor Afanasyev and the staff of the department, was supplemented with an atlas of histology (Eliseev V.G., Afanasyev Yu.I., Kotovsky E.F., Yatskovsky A.N. Atlas of microscopic and ultramicroscopic structure of cells, tissues, organs. — 5th ed., revised and supplemented — M.: Medicine, 2004) and laboratory practice (Laboratory practice in histology, cytology and embryology: textbook for medical universities / edited by Yu.I. Afanasyev, A.N. Yatskovsky. — M.: Medicine, 1999). Thus, the methodological complex became the basis for teaching and standardization of training at the departments of histology, cytology and embryology, and the textbook has rightfully become the basic one and is used in the teaching process in most educational medical institutions in Russia. In parallel with improving the methodological complex, Professor Afanasyev and the staff of the department took an active part in preparing a histology handbook. The publication of the 5th edition of the textbook (Afanasyev Yu.I., Yurina N.A., Kotovsky E.F. et al. Histology, cytology and embryology. — M.: Medicine, 1999) and the first domestic fundamental work on histology (Guide to Histology in 2 volumes, written by a team of authors, headed by one of the famous histologists of the USSR, Professor Yuliy Ivanovich Afanasyev — SPb.: SpetsLit, 2001) made it possible to maintain a high level of teaching the subject in Russia, introducing the latest achievements of world science into educational practice.
Time brings its changes not only to the composition of the author’s team, but also to the curricula and programs in histology. New facts are being discovered, histogenetic processes and terminology are being clarified, the interpretation of histological phenomena is changing, etc. There is also basic knowledge distinguished by its conservatism, which at the same time fits logically into the modern level of knowledge about the development, structure and physiology of cells, tissues and organs. To preserve the principles of presenting the subject, traditional for Russian science, to make the necessary clarifications in the text, as well as to improve the clarity of the illustrative material, were the main objectives undertaken by the science editor together with colleagues. Professors Katinas, Chentsov, Brusilovsky, Barsukov, Borovaya, N.I. Kaletina, Associate prof. Molchanov contributed to the work on the textbook and its publication. Professor Katinas rewrote Chapter 5 (previously excluded from the fifth edition) setting the stage for the general histology course. The sequence of presentation of material has been changed, in particular the information on human embryology, according to the recommendations of the curriculum. The chapters describing the foundations of the development and structure of the organs of immunogenesis and immune reactions have been combined. Each chapter is supplied with questions at the end. Collections of microscopic specimens of the Department of Histology of the Military Medical Academy were used in the work; some specimens were provided by prof. Ivanov (Department of Histology, Kursk State Medical University), prof. Barsukov (Department of Histology and Embryology, Georgievsky Medical Academy), light-optical and electronic micrographs were submitted for publication by Associate prof. Galakhova, prof. Zashikhin, Associate prof. Rostovshchikov, V.I. Semkin Dr. Med. Sciences, O.V. Slesarev Candidate of Sciwnce (Medicine), Associate prof. Chetvergov and others. During the work on the textbook, the editor was greatly assisted by teaching aids presented by the leading histologists of Russia, authors of a two-volume histology manual.
Editing eliminated a small part of the materials that are not included in the curriculum of histology, cytology and embryology and are well represented in the curriculum of related subjects (physiology, pathological physiology, biochemistry); the textbook makes partial use of materials of the fourth edition of the textbook (Moscow: Medicine, 1989), edited by prof. Afanasyev and prof. Yurina; a few electron micrographs, better reproduced in the aforementioned atlas of histology have been omitted; a greater number of light-optical micrographs of histological preparations has been included. Most of the preparations are stained with hematoxylin and eosin. When describing special methods of preparation processing, the captions to the micrographs indicate the dye used and the method of identifying one or another structural component of the cell. Microphotography of the preparations was carried out at low (objective 8), medium (objective 40), and high (objective 100, immersion) magnification. Digital images of slides were processed by M.R. Danilov in order to correct color rendition and depth of field.
All terminology was checked according to the list of cytological and histological terms prepared by the Federal International Committee for Anatomical Terminology (FICAT, 2009). However, a number of terms are given as amended by the previous edition (International histological nomenclature / edited by Yu.I. Afanasyev. — M.: Medicine, 1987).
The editor will gratefully accept all critical feedback, which will be taken into account in future work.
R.K. Danilov