Histology is one of the most important basic medical science subjects every medical student will come across in medical school. The subject can be quite extensive so having a solid histology atlas and textbook will go a long way to enable you to master the subject.
However, not just any histology textbook will do. It will have to be readable, yet detailed enough for any medical student to digest without becoming too overwhelming. Even better, a Histology textbook and atlas will go in-depth showing you real-life pictures in full-color photographs.
Best Histology Textbooks: Our Top Picks
When scanning through the book store for a textbook on histology, you will have to make a choice from a large number of options which can be quite difficult. Each textbook has its own strengths and weaknesses as well as features, writing styles, and detailing that makes it stand out in the market.
We have made your search easier by recommending some of the best histology textbooks available in the market.
1. Junqueira’s Basic Histology: Text and Atlas, Sixteenth Edition
If you’re on the book market for a full-size atlas and textbook that digs into the deepest depths of histology and will provide you everything you need for your histology class and exams, then you will never go wrong with Junqueira’s Basic Histology: Text and Atlas, Sixteenth Edition
Formatted in a way that optimizes the learning process, Junqueira’s explains how to study the structures of cells and tissues and other aspects of the cell including the cell cytoplasm and nucleus; and their role in the organ systems.
The material provides everything you need to know about cell biology and histology and goes even further to integrate information from other courses such as biochemistry, immunology, endocrinology, and physiology.
While the book is written specifically for students of medicine, the writing style features a simple and clear language that should be easy for professionals of other fields to grasp.
This textbook and atlas don’t just provide information, each chapter includes multiple-choice self-test questions that ensure students were able to fully understand what they just read.
This latest edition is based on the latest clinical practices featuring amazing illustrations that depict key aspects of cell biology and histology. You will also find electron and light micrographs that deliver definitive atlas of the cell, tissue, and organ structures.
Overall, the textbook and atlas come packed with the right information but it might be too compact for some.
- Author: Anthony L. Mescher
- Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education / Medical
- Current edition: 16th edition, May 2021
- Pages: 576 pages
2. Textbook of Histology
Authored by Leslie P. Gartner Ph.D., The Textbook of Histology brings you up to date with all that’s new in the field. This text goes beyond the surface and gives details on the subject as well as the clinical application of cellular and molecular biology.
Numbering more than 700 pages, this material might seem too bulky for the average reader, however, this is because it doubles as a text and a histology laboratory guide featuring laboratory exercises for nearly every chapter as well as numerous new clinical observations that illustrate the importance of histology to clinical practice.
The text in the book is concise and does away with unnecessary medical terminologies that have become mainstays in many medical textbooks. The illustrations are also in-depth but simple enough that starters can easily understand their purpose. Impressively, there are more than 170 photomicrographs as well as new drawings, and histology laboratory instructions in this edition.
Another notable addition to this material is quick reference tables that help to summarize the information discussed in the text. This will help you with taking notes.
Furthermore, there are PowerPoint™ presentations, bolded key terms, bulleted lists, and chapter summaries that highlight “need to know” information. While these make the book longer than average histology textbooks, they do turn out to be quite useful.
- Author: Leslie P. Gartner PhD
- Publisher: Elsevier
- Current edition: 5th edition April 2020
- Pages: 704 pages
3. Histology: A Text and Atlas: With Correlated Cell and Molecular Biology
Considered one of the best-selling combination text and atlas, Histology: A Text and Atlas offers students an easy-to-read textbook and atlas featuring reader-friendly highlights, folders, and blue clinical text to ensure easier understanding and facilitate efficient study.
The text features delimited chapters with updated information to reflect the latest advances in the field. You will also find separate, superbly illustrated atlas sections that follow almost every chapter which ensures visual learning is as smooth as possible.
In addition to that are large-size, full-color digital photomicrographs with labels and accompanied descriptions that highlight structural and functional details of cells, tissues, and organs.
The photos are awesome and very helpful. However, it isn’t the best option for students that have never cracked open a biology or human biology book. It’s got a ton of info, enough for a novice to get overwhelmed.
Overall, this book is very well written, it is full of details, images, and slides. The topics have clear and concise summaries that allow you to readily understand what the following section of text is about very well.
- Author: Ph.D. Ross, Michael H., M.D. Pawlina, Wojciech
- Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
- Current edition: 7th edition, January 2015
- Pages: 984 pages
4. Netter’s Essential Histology: With Correlated Histopathology
Netter’s Essential Histology: With Correlated Histopathology is a fantastic book and atlas all medical students must have. The writing style is concise and easy to use and also integrates gross anatomy and embryology with classic histology slides.
Within its pages are state-of-the-art scanning electron microscopy, histopathology content, and additional clinical boxes that offer a clear visual understanding of a complex subject. The histopathology images are designed to increase your knowledge of pathophysiology and clinical relevance while the other parts of the text should help you recognize both normal and diseased structures at the microscopic level.
Further down the pages, you will find enhanced and colorized electron micrographs that show ultra-structures in 3D, side by side with classic Netter illustrations.
The icing on the cake is the online access to author-narrated video overviews of each chapter as well as virtual slides that can be viewed at different magnifications. If you’re looking for a textbook that takes a modern approach to help you understand histology, you won’t go wrong with this material.
- Author: William K. Ovalle Ph.D., Patrick C. Nahirney PhD
- Publisher: Elsevier
- Current edition: 3rd edition, April 2020
- Pages: 568 pages
5. Wheater’s Functional Histology: A Text and Colour Atlas
If you’ve been let down by many books on medical histology and you’re on the market for an option that is well-detailed without going overboard, you will find this book quite helpful.
Though it is not as extensive as other textbooks on the subject matter, Wheater’s Functional Histology: A Text and Colour Atlas offers 464 pages of in-depth material. The text is easily understood within its context and is very well-written and informative in a well-organized fashion.
When it comes to histology, recognizing tissues is very important and this text does a wonderful job of demonstrating images of what each cell tissue should look like and its relative functions in addition to where its located in the body. It specifies magnification, identifying features, and its usage in the body as well.
The book is in 3 parts, Part I, The Cell, Part II, Basic Tissue Types, and Part III, Organ Systems. Each of these parts ia then broken down into subdivisions with their own chapters. The organization makes it quite easy to take notes and summaries of the chapters as well as assimilate the information provided in the book.
- Author: Barbara Young BSc Med Sci (Hons) PhD MB BChir MRCP FRCPA, Geraldine O’Dowd BSc (Hons) MBChB (Hons) FRCPath, Phillip Woodford MB BS FRCPA
- Publisher: Churchill Livingstone
- Current edition: 6th edition, November 2013
- Pages: 464 pages
6. Histology and Cell Biology: An Introduction to Pathology
Histology and Cell Biology: An Introduction to Pathology is a textbook dedicated to medical students looking to building a stronger clinical knowledge base in the challenging area of pathologic abnormalities.
The award-winning text with comes complete full-color illustrations, diagrams, photomicrographs, and pathology photos fully integrated on every page. Taking notes is made easier by the addition of highlighted clinical terms and clinical conditions boxes. Another handy feature in the book is the use of light green background throughout the text to identify essential concepts of histology allowing students to quickly locate these important concepts in no time.
As with many other credible textbooks on histology, this material contains new Primers in most chapters that provide a practical, self-contained integration of histology, cell biology, and pathology for better clarity on the relationship between basic and clinical sciences.
Overall, this book presents the subject in a logical and organized way. They are accompanied by multiple schematic simplifications of microscopical observations and real pictures, making sure the reader understands the real-world context.
- Author: Laura L Tres M.D. Ph.D., Abraham L Kierszenbaum M.D. Ph.D.
- Publisher: Elsevier
- Current edition: 5th edition, June 2019
- Pages: 824 pages
7. Lippincott’s Pocket Histology
For students looking for a perfect little pocketbook that still offers amazing slide images, detailed information concerning individual stains as well as the basic principles of histology, Lippincott’s Pocket Histology is the right pick.
This pocketbook is the go-to reference if you need a review and study tool for histology. It presents the essential information needed for the course and board exam review in a concise, quick-reference format. You will also find tables, full-color images, and bullet-point text as well as an index of terms and color-coded systems organization that provide easy access to histological facts.
For students looking for highly distilled content in one easily portable source that will help them prepare for exams or assist them in the lab, this pocket-sized reference book makes for a nice pick.
- Author: Lisa M.J. Lee PhD
- Publisher: LWW
- Current edition: Illustrated edition, August 2013
- Pages: 288 pages
8. A Photographic Atlas of Histology
This atlas is designed to aid your study by providing quality and clearer images of cells, tissues or organs in the body. It contains over 550 photomicrographs prepared from biological slides and is not so different from what the microscope shows you.
Some diagrams and illustrations clarify histological concepts in this textbook. Each chapter is assigned a slide deck that contains about 25 to 50 slides. The selected images from each chapter signify the subject matter in each chapter.
At the end of each slide deck, 5 questions need answering. Instructors can also take advantage of these questions for tests or practical examinations.
- Author: Michael J. Leboffe
- Publisher: Morton Publishing Company
- Current Edition: 2nd edition (August 1, 2013)
- Pages: 250 Pages
9. Atlas of Histology with Functional Correlations
The 13th edition of Atlas of Histology with Functional Correlations is a compilation of accurate photomicrography designed to allow medical students to identify microstructures easily. These illustrations are supported with captions and insightful discussions to make readers understand the clinical and functional correlations of each structure.
The valuable resource features a new and colorful layout, new photomicrographs and electron micrographs, a summary in bullet points and about 375 reviews questions and answers. You can also go online to answer another 200 questions.
Each chapter has a new histological images section and an improved section for functional correlations. If histology bores you or you wish to be spoon-fed, this book is surely for you.
- Author: Victor P. Eroschenko
- Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
- Current Edition: 13th edition (March 9, 2017)
- Pages: 617 Pages
