ABOUT THE ACTIVITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT
The Department of Histology and Embryology teaches the subject of Human Histology and Embryology to first-year students of the Faculty of Medicine, as well as to second- and third-year students in the integrated modules of medical studies: “Fundamentals of Preclinical Studies and Movement”, “Metabolism and Homeostasis”, “Respiration and Blood Circulation”, “Fundamentals of Neurosciences”, “Human Reproductive Health and Fundamentals of Clinical Studies”, “Immune Response and Infection”. The Department of Histology and Embryology is responsible for the “Reproduction and Inheritance” part of the Human Reproductive Health and Fundamentals of Clinical Studies module.
The department also teaches:
- Human histology and embryology subject for first- and second-year students of the Faculty of Odontology,
- Histology for students majoring in Medical and Veterinary Genetics and Medical and Veterinary Biochemistry,
- Embryology and developmental genetics – for students of medical and veterinary genetics;
- Histology is taught to Health Psychology students,
- Embryology and Embryo Development – for Midwifery Students.
The professors of the department teach in elective courses, supervise students’ scientific works and participate in doctoral studies.
The most important directions of scientific research carried out by the employees of the Histology and Embryology Department are: 1. Direction of scientific research in experimental oncology, using two models: a. A chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model for studying tumour-induced neoangiogenesis, tumour cell invasion and proliferation; b. A model of spontaneous tumours after urethane injections in the lungs of Balb-C mice; 2. Age-related changes in the male and female reproductive systems.
CAM and spontaneous lung tumour models used for experimental studies are suitable for testing the effects of various drugs on tissues, elucidating their influence on angiogenesis, tumour cell proliferation and invasion. In the Department‘s newly established Live Tissue Research Laboratory, experimental research is carried out, forming tumours from cultured cells. Immunohistochemical, in vivo biomicroscopic, histomorphometric studies are performed at the department.
The lecturers of the Histology and Embryology Department are members of the Lithuanian Society of Morphologists, who actively participate in national and international scientific conferences, where they present the results of ongoing scientific research.
