DEHYDRATION Flashcards
What are the main steps involved in tissue processing?
Dehydration
What is the purpose of dehydration in tissue processing?
Removal of water from aqueous-fixed tissue.
Why is clearing necessary after dehydration?
Because most alcohols and paraffin are not miscible.
List the steps in tissue processing in order.
- Numbering
- Fixation
- Decalcification
- Dehydration
- Clearing
- Impregnation
- Embedding
- Blocking
- Trimming
- Sectioning
- Staining
- Mounting
- Labelling
What is the pre-eminent method of tissue processing for routine preparation?
Paraffin Wax method.
Why is the Paraffin Wax method preferred for routine tissue processing?
It is suitable for routine preparation
What does the Paraffin Wax method utilize as dehydrating fluid?
A series of alcohols.
Name the characteristics of an ideal dehydrating solution.
- Rapid dehydration without significant shrinkage
- slow evaporation
- ability to dehydrate fatty tissues,
- minimal hardening
- does not remove stains
- non-toxic,
- not a fire hazard.
List commonly used dehydrating agents.
- Alcohol (most common)
- Acetone
- Dioxane
- Cellosolve
- Triethyl phosphate
- Tetrahydrofuran
Which alcohol is recommended for routine dehydration of tissues and why?
Ethyl alcohol (ethanol) because:
- it is fast-acting
- mixes well with water and inorganic solvents
- penetrates tissues easily
- not poisonous
- not expensive
What is a disadvantage of using methyl alcohol (methanol) as a dehydrating agent?
It is toxic to the body.
Why is butyl alcohol (butanol) not suitable for rapid tissue processing?
Because it is a slow dehydrating agent.
Describe the dehydration process in tissue processing.
Removal of water from tissue using dehydrating agents, often a series of increasing alcohol concentrations to prevent tissue distortion.
What is the role of anhydrous copper sulfate in alcohol dehydration?
It serves as an indicator to ensure the final alcohol bath is free of water by turning blue if alcohol gets diluted.
What are the advantages of using acetone as a dehydrating agent?
- Cheap
- rapid-acting
- more miscible with epoxy resins than alcohol.
What are the disadvantages of using acetone?
- Highly flammable
- penetrates tissues poorly
- causes brittleness
- removes most lipids
- extremely volatile.
What is dioxane used for in tissue processing?
As a dehydrating and clearing agent.
List the advantages of using dioxane.
- Produces less tissue shrinkage
- , tissues can be left in it for long periods without affecting consistency or staining
- can be placed directly after washing.
List the disadvantages of using dioxane.
- Expensive
- extremely dangerous
- poor ribboning of tissue sections
- highly toxic vapors
- increases risk of explosive peroxides.
What is Graupner’s Method in dioxane dehydration?
A time schedule involving multiple pure dioxane solutions followed by paraffin wax infiltration and embedding.
What is Weiseberg’s Method?
Tissues are wrapped in gauze and dehydrated in a bottle containing dioxane and anhydrous calcium oxide
What is Cellosolve and its primary use in tissue processing?
Ethylene glycol monoethyl ether used as a rapid dehydrating agent that does not harden or distort tissues.
What precautions should be taken when using Cellosolve?
It is combustible at 110-120°F and toxic; use propylene-based glycol ether if possible.