Tonsil

🩺 Before you name anything

Take a deep breath and let's start by looking at the whole picture. At low power, focus on the overall architecture. Notice how the tissue is organised. You should see a layer of stratified squamous epithelium covering the surface. Beneath this, look for the dense lymphoid tissue with follicles. The key here is the combination of the surface epithelium and the lymphoid follicles. Students often rush to identify individual cells and miss these larger structures. Start broad, confirm the epithelium, then identify the lymphoid follicles. This approach will help you confidently identify the tonsil.