4TH PRETEST

Question 1

Sections that vary in thickness or are skipped can be caused by: *

a. Block temperature being too warm
b. Nicks in the knife
c. Processing that is inadequate
d. Screws that are loose

Answer 1

d. Screws that are loose

Question 2

One cause of sections being lifted from the knife on the upstroke is that the:

a. Knife is too sharp
b. Knife tilt is incorrect
c. Paraffin is too cold
d. Specimen is too hard

Answer 2

b. Knife tilt is incorrect

Question 3

The proper speed of frozen sectioning:

a. Is fast and even
b. Is similar to the speed for paraffin sectioning
c. Is slow and even
d. Varies with the tissue and temperature

Answer 3

d. Varies with the tissue and temperature

Question 4

Contaminants on slides are usually picked up from the:

a. Drying oven
b. Floatation bath
c. Microtome knife
d. Staining solutions

Answer 4

b. Floatation bath

Question 5

Which of the following is a purpose of embedding?

a. Prepares the tissue for staining
b. Prevents damage to the cells
c. Protects the tissue from heat
d. Removes water from the cells

Answer 5

b. Prevents damage to the cells

Question 6

Which of the following is an artifact that may be introduced on a tissue section by the use of a floatation bath?

a. Autolysis
b. Bacteria
c. Cytoplasmic vacuoles
d. Nuclear bubbling

Answer 6

b. Bacteria

Question 7

Which of the following is necessary to ensure a straight ribbon?

a. Horizontal sides of the block must be parallel to each other
b. Vertical sides of the block must be parallel to each other
c. Horizontal and vertical sides of the block must be parallel to each other
d. Rapid rotation of the microtome wheel

Answer 7

a. Horizontal sides of the block must be parallel to each other

Question 8

Orienting a specimen for embedding should be decided during:

a. Fixation
b. Grossing
c. Processing
d. Surgical removal

Answer 8

b. Grossing

Question 9

The temperature of the flotation bath used to float out ribbons of paraffin sections should be how many degrees centigrade below the melting point of the paraffin?

a. 0 to 5 °C
b. 5 to 10°C
c. 10 to 15°C
d. 15 to 20°C

Answer 9

b. 5 to 10°C

Question 10

The edge of a newly sharpened microtome knife should be assessed for sharpness with a:

a. Finger
b. Hair
c. Microscope
d. Paper

Answer 10

c. Microscope

Question 11

On the Minot rotary microtome used occasionally in cryostats, each division of the thickness scale is equal to:

a. 1 um
b. 2 um
c. 3 um
d. 4 um

Answer 11

b. 2 um

Question 12

Routine paraffin sections are cut at what micrometer (micron, μm) setting?

a. 1 to 3 μm
b. 4 to 6 μm
c. 7 to 9 μm
d. 10 to 15 μm

Answer 12

b. 4 to 6 μm

Question 13

13. Which of the following will cause a split or lengthwise scratch in a paraffin ribbon?
    a. Debris on the knife edge
    b. Inadequate processing
    c. Too sharp a knife edge
    d. Wrong temperature paraffin

Answer 13

a. Debris on the knife edge

Question 14

14. Most frozen tissue is routinely sectioned using what type of microtome?
    a. Hand
    b. Rocking
    c. Rotary
    d. Sliding

Answer 14

c. Rotary

Question 15

Cryostat sections of FIXED tissue tend to float off the slides during staining. This problem can be prevented best by: *

a. Coating the slide with a protein mixture
b. Heating the slide over a bunsen burner
c. Picking the sections up with a room temperature slide
d. Sectioning at a warmer cryostat temperature

Answer 15

a. Coating the slide with a protein mixture

Question 16

When tissue such as skin or bone varies in hardness, how should the block be positioned in the microtome?

a. Knife should pass through the hardest portion first
b. Knife should pass through the hardest portion last
c. Hardest portion should be placed vertically, so only a small area of the knife is damaged
d. Hardest portion should be removed before embedding

Answer 16

b. Knife should pass through the hardest portion last

Question 17

Which of the following is routinely placed in the flotation bath to allow the sections to adhere to the slide better?

a. Celloidin
b. Flour
c. Gelatin
d. Serum

Answer 17

c. Gelatin

Question 18

Which of the following problems will be seen in paraffin sections that are floated out onto a flotation bath that is too cool?

a. Cracks
b. Folds
c. Separations
d. Stretching

Answer 18

b. Folds

Question 19

By which of the following means does the fluid state of paraffin convert to a solid?

a. Crystallization
b. Evaporation
c. Polymerization
d. Sublimation

Answer 19

a. Crystallization

Question 20

Which of the following embedding procedures involves first infiltrating the tissue with one medium, and then embedding it in another?

a. Double
b. Resin
c. Routine
d. Vacuum

Answer 20

a. Double

Question 21

To remove grit and dirt before embedding, paraffin may have to be:

a. Filtered
b. Heated
c. Solidified
d. Washed

Answer 21

a. Filtered

Question 22

To ensure complete sections during microtomy, each tissue must be properly:

a. Oriented
b. Processed
c. Selected
d. Sized

Answer 22

a. Oriented

Question 23

Blades from disposable knives should be discarded:

a. By incineration
b. By wrapping the blade with tape before placing in a wastepaper basket
c. In a separate ‘sharps box’
d. Via the garbage disposal

Answer 23

c. In a separate ‘sharps box’

Question 24

It is important that the facet of a cryostat knife be small to prevent:

a. The anti-roll plate from causing problems
b. Loose metal shavings from attaching to the sections
c. The section from curling as it is cut
d. The “venetian blind” effect

Answer 24

a. The anti-roll plate from causing problems

Question 25

To prevent formation of a thick layer of paraffin on the bottom of the mold during embedding, the tissue must be: *

a. Embedded quickly and neatly
b. Handled carefully and slowly
c. Heated directly on a hot plate
d. Moved several times

Answer 25

a. Embedded quickly and neatly