Histology is an important discipline of the biological sciences that is concerned with the structure of the tissues of organisms. It is also a fundamental discipline in the curriculum for medical, dental, and veterinary students, allied health students, and those studying biomedical science. There is a range of histology atlases available to these students, for example ‘Color Atlas of Histology’ by Gartner and ‘Wheater's Functional Histology’ to name but two. diFiore's atlas is of course itself a long established book, now in its 11th edition.
The book is divided into three sections (Introduction, Part I Tissues, and Part II Organs). The introduction is one of the strong points of this book as it deals with the ‘planes of section’ problems that students new to histology often have with interpreting two-dimensional sections of three-dimensional structures. It also briefly explains the uses of the stains seen in the atlas. Part 1 starts with a chapter describing the ultrastructure of the cell, and is well illustrated with very clear and well labelled transmission electron micrographs. This is particularly useful to medical students who are not always familiar with basic cell biology. Part I continues with chapters on epithelial tissue, connective tissue, cartilage and bone, blood, muscle, and nervous tissue. Part II contains chapters on the circulatory system, lymphoid system, integumentary (skin) system, digestive system, respiratory system, urinary system, endocrine system, male reproductive and female reproductive systems, and organs of special senses (eye and ear). This is a fairly standard arrangement for this type of book; however, it is worth noting that diFiore's Atlas sub-divides several of these topics, making them in my opinion more easily understood by the student.
diFiore's Atlas of Histology differs from other popular atlases in one major respect. Rather than being predominantly illustrated with light micrographs, the majority of illustrations in this book are actually beautifully drawn idealized illustrations. These are supported by real micrographs. Both types of illustration are extremely well labelled. I would have liked to have seen a real micrograph to support every idealized illustration, but that is not the case. Most chapters contain at least one full-colour composite, showing the location(s) of particular tissues within the human body in three dimensions. The quality of all the idealized and composite illustrations is excellent. Most micrographs are also of the highest quality, with the exception of two showing the ovary in Chapter 19 (Figures19.2 and 19.3, both attributed as gifts from Dr Sergei Yakovlevich Amstislavsky).
Each chapter starts with a brief overview of the topic, and each chapter (or section of a chapter) ends with a concise summary of the most important points covered in that chapter/section. This should prove very useful as a revision aid for students. diFiore's Atlas of Histology also places emphasis on functional aspects of the tissues illustrated. This has been done particularly well in this latest edition, greatly enhancing the value of the text, which accompanies the illustrations.
I have a slight concern about the quality of paper used for this book. The paper is thinner and lacks the glossy finish used for earlier editions of this book (and for most rival histology atlases). Combined with the relatively large form (21×28cm), I fear that this book will not stand up to being carried in and out of practical classes, as histology atlases often are.
As has become almost standard for texts aimed at students this book has supplementary digital material. Unlike the 10th edition this comes not on a CD-Rom but is instead available on the Internet. This reveals a problem. The instructions printed on the inside cover of the book instruct the reader to go to ‘http://thePoint.lwww.com/eroschenko’ to access the material. However, following these instructions gets you nowhere. I managed to find the material using an internet search engine. The instructions should direct you to: ‘http://thepointeedition.lww.com/pt/re/thepoint/home.htm’.
The material aimed at students is divided into two sections: an interactive atlas and a collection of additional micrographs. The interactive atlas is very similar to the version that was supplied on CD-Rom with the 10th edition. Each figure from the text is available. You can view these with or without labels to allow for self-testing. You can also search for keywords, and the atlas will bring up any figures that are relevant. It is also possible to compare images side by side. Lastly, a zoom function allows you to zoom into an area of interest. The usefulness of this last feature is limited by the relatively low resolution of the images. The collection of additional images (approximately 475) is useful. These are unlabelled and are designed to allow students to interpret unfamiliar images of tissues that they have studied. A very useful feature of the collection is that these images can be exported as jpg images (unlike those in the interactive atlas), allowing the student to use them offline, or for presentations etc. The online material aimed at ‘Instructors’ comprises a collection of 950 micrographs. Like the student collection, these are unlabelled and can be exported for use offline. Overall, the online material is a very useful supplement to the textbook, both for students and teachers. I do have reservations, however, about the move from CD-Rom to web-based access. In the UK, high-speed internet access is not yet universal (especially in rented student accommodation), and at dial-up speeds this material would be unusable.
In conclusion, I am very impressed with this publication, and would highly recommend it for any student with an interest in histology. The online material also makes it very useful to teachers of the subject. I have been a long time fan of Wheater's atlas, and unlike an earlier edition of diFiore's atlas (7th edition) that I have used, the 11th edition of diFiore's Atlas may win over my loyalty.