Clearing/Dealcoholization Flashcards
Process of removal of dehydrating agent
Clearing/Dealcoholization
Goal of Clearing
Make tissue transparent
Improve refractive index
Incomplete clearing may result to
Uneven H&E staining
Poor nuclear chromatin pattern
Prolonged clearing time may result to
Brittle tissues
Best features of Xylene
Fast-acting (30 mins-1 hr)
Xylene is not used in
Lymph nodes
Nervous tissue
Immersing of incomplete dehydrated tissue in xylene results in
Milky appearance
Substitute for xylene and benzene
Toluene
Toluene acidifies in
Partially filled vessels
Fast-acting, used in URGENT BIOPSIES
Benzene
Disadvantage of Benzene
May cause aplastic anemia
Highly flammable
Carcinogenic
CaN DAMAGE BONE MARROW
Not routinely used, TOXIC TO LIVER
Chloroform
Chloroform disadvantage
Attacks rubber seal in vacuum impregnation
Tends to float out
Toxic to liver
TISSUES DO NOT BECOME TRANSLUCENT
MAY CAUSE WAX DETERIORATION
Extremely slow clearing agent, 2-3 days of clearing
Cedarwood oil
Cedarwood oil is used in
Cytological
Smooth muscle
CNS tissue
Clearing agents used in dense tissues
Chloroform
Cedarwood oil
Clearing agent used in EMBRYOS, INSECTS, DELICATE SPECIMEN
Aniline Oil
Tissues may become adulterated
Clove oil
Same with chloroform but CHEAPER
Carbon tetrachloride
Methyl benzoate
Amyl acetate
Methyl salicylate
Extremely slow clearing agent
Double embedding process
Clearing agent used as SUBSTITUTE FOR XYLENE
N-butyl acetate
Obtained from citrus fruit
Limonene
Characteristic of limonene oil
Has faint pleasant odor
Used in friable tissues
Carbon xylene
