PUPILS from Gwent schools and some of the area's GPs have been taking a look at the oft-misunderstood world of pathology as part of an awareness week.

Staff at the pathology laboratories at the Royal Gwent Hospital have marked National Pathology Week by throwing open their doors to students and family doctors keen to boost their knowledge of the subject, and to whet appetites for possible careers.

"There are a lot of myths around about pathology, and perhaps the most obvious - due mainly to television programmes - is that it is all about dead bodies," said Julia Baker, clinical biochemist at the Royal Gwent.

"But there are lots of different aspects to pathology, and it is very much to do with the living."

Diagnostic testing of a range of samples from patients, monitoring treatments, and playing a key part in infection control are among the work of pathologists.

Histopathology (the study of disease in human tissue), microbiology (the study of infection), chemical pathology ( the study of chemicals in body fluids), and haematology (the study of blood disorders) are just four pathology specialties.

"We've seen around 80 students, and they tour the labs and take part in some simple experiments to get a brief taste of what we do," said Ms Baker.