Pathology Careers

Pathology is a branch of medical science that deals with the study of the essential nature of diseases, particularly the structural and functional changes these diseases produce. It involves the laboratory examination of molecules, cells, tissues and organs and its interpretation. 

The German pathologist Rudolf Virchow (1821-1902) is regarded the father of pathology. With the help of the compound microscope, Virchow was among the earliest physicians to encourage the study of manifestations of diseases which were visible only at the cellular level. 

With the development of new research techniques, such as electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and molecular biology, the study of pathology has gained much depth. Now, biomedical scientists and pathologists can find out the cause of many diseases by studying the changes occurring in patients by testing blood, urine, stool etc.

In the broadest sense, nearly all research which links manifestations of disease to identifiable processes in cells, tissues, or organs, can be considered pathology. A medical doctor that specializes in pathology is called a pathologist. Pathologists are experts at interpreting the state of body tissues as they appear under the microscope.