Metallic Fixatives Flashcards
Good general fixative for all kinds of tissue;
May act as mordant;
For trichrome staining;
For tissue photography
Zenker’s Fluid
For pituitary gland, bone marrow, and blood-containing organs (e.g. liver & spleen)
Zenker-formol/Helly’s
Removes excess mercury
Alcoholic iodine
Removes excess iodine
5% sodium thiosulfate
Recommended for tumor biopsies especially of the skin;
Do not produce black precipitate
Heidenhain’s Susa
Used on wet smears for cytologic exams
Schaudinn’s Solution/Sublimated alcohol
Commonly used for bone marrow biopsies;
Rapid fixation: 1.5-2 hrs
B-5 fixative
Rapid fixatives; excellent nuclear preservation
Carnoy-Lebrun
Rapid fixatives; excellent nuclear preservation
Ohlmacher
Precipitate proteins and preserve CHO
Chromate fixative
For Chromaffin tissues, Adrenal medulla, and Mitochondria
Chromate fixative
Precipitates all proteins;
Adequately preserve CHO;
Chromic acid
Demonstrate chromatin, mitochondria, mitotic figures, golgi bodies, rbc’s, and colloid-containing tissues
Regaud’s Fluid
For study of early degenerative processes and tissue necrosis;
Demonstrate Rickettsia;
Preserves myelin better
Orth’s Fluid
Preserves mitochondria (4.5-5.2);
Fixes lipids
Potassium dichromate
Chemical name for the general picric acid fixative
2-4-6-trinitrophenol
Fixation of embryos and pituitary biopsies;
Fixative for preserving soft and delicate structures (e.g. endometrial curettings);
Yellow stain is useful in fragmentary biopsies;
Fixative for Masson’s Trichrome;
Destroy cytoplasmic structures
Bouin’s solution
Best routine fixative for glycogen
Brasil’s alcoholic picroformol fixative
Anhydrous;
Solidify @ 17degC;
Precipitates chromosomes and chromatin materials
Glacial acetic acid
Diluent for wright’s stain;
Fix wet/dry smears, blood smears, BM tissues
Methanol 100%
For fixing touch preps
Isopropanol 95%