(PALM 306) Exam 1 Flashcards
The terms micrometers or microns and the abbreviation µm used in microtomy refer to:
section thickness
Nuclear distortion is seen microscopically in tissue sections from slides dried in one rack. Which of the following is the most likely cause?
The slide oven is too hot
What type of microtome blade is indicated by the yellow arrow?
Low profile disposable stainless steel
Which of the following is NOT an advantage of using an automated microtome?
Self-cleaning
A dull blade, too little clearance angle, paraffin accumulation on the knife, and a warm block may all be causes of this type of microtomy artifact.
Compression
When getting thick and thin sections, what is the first thing you should suspect?
Loose or worn microtome parts
Which of the following tissue types is predisposed to washboarding or undulations?
Fatty tissue
When using a slide dryer to dry slides, what should determine the temperature setting of the oven?
The melting point of the paraffin
Which of the following tissue types would require less hydration?
Breast
Which of the following tissues would most likely be sectioned at 2-3 microns?
Kidney biopsy
Which of the following is the most likely cause of sections lifting off the blade?
The clearance angle is too low
On an automated microtome, selecting “TRIM” is used to _______, and selecting “SECT” is used to _______.
Face a block, section a block
The function of the microtome advance (course adjustment) wheel is to:
move the chuck forward and backward
Which of the following artifacts is caused by contamination of the waterbath?
Floaters
What is the most likely cause of the artifact displayed in the image below?
Aggressive facing
All H&E stained slides from the same rack exhibit nuclear bubbling artifact. It was confirmed that the tissue was adequately fixed. What can be done to prevent this from happening in the future?
Lower the temperature of the slide dryer/oven
Which type of microtome would be used for routine paraffin sectioning.
Rotary or automated
Which of the following would likely cause a knife line in a paraffin section?
Debris on the knife edge
Tissue sections floated on a waterbath that is too cool are likely to have this artifact.
Wrinkles
Which of the following will most likely be corrected by soaking a faced block in ice water?
microscopic chatter
Which of the following is likely to cause sections to lift from the blade during microtomy?
Clearance angle is too low
What is the function of the microtome drive wheel?
It moves the chuck up and down
The correct temperature of the waterbath is determined by the melting point of paraffin.
True
Tissue fragmentation or separation can be caused by:
Incomplete fixation or processing
Which of the following would be an ergonomic method to reduce MSDs during microtomy?
Use your whole arm to rotate the drive wheel
Adjust chair appropriately
Stretch often
The clearance angle is determined by:
The bevel angle and type of microtome
Of the following, which of the following is the best definition of facing?
Initial block surfacing
In reference to microtomy, what is the definition of sectioning?
Producing tissue at appropriate thickness for microscopy
Define levels, as it applies to microtomy.
Skipping a variable number of tissue sections between sections selected for staining
The overuse of freeze spray on a paraffin block can cause:
Cracks in the paraffin
The temperature of a waterbath should be how many degrees below the melting point of paraffin?
5º-10ºC
The benefit of using positively charged slides is to:
eliminate the use of waterbath adhesives
In reference to microtomy, what is the clearance angle?
The angle of the blade in relation to the block face
When placing a section onto a slide, you should align the edge of the paraffin and not the tissue.
False
A ribbon will not form at sectioning. Which of the following could be a cause?
Clearance angle to high
Dull or dirty blade
Loose microtome lever
When sectioning dense fibrous tissue, what waterbath temperature adjustment may be necessary?
Increase temperature
Keeping the block edge parallel to the blade will prevent:
Microchatter
holes in the sections
thick and thin sections
Increased background staining is observed on a stained slide. Which of the following is the most likely cause?
Excessive adhesive in the waterbath
Incomplete drying of slides before staining can cause:
Wavy sections
Which of the following is a reason for chilling a paraffin block before sectioning?
Hardens the paraffin
Which of the following is an example of waterbath contamination on a tissue section?
Debris
What does serial sectioning mean in reference to microtomy?
Selecting every acceptable section in succession
Washboarding observed in a section of uterus is most likely caused by which of the following?
Loose or worn microtome parts
The intersection of the two cutting facets of a microtome blade is called the:
bevel angle
Aggressive facing can cause which of the following artifacts?
Holes
Holes with ragged edges are seen in a section of liver when viewed microscopically. These were most likely caused by:
Aggressive facing/sectioning
In microtomy, the chuck:
holds and secures the block
When performing full rotation facing, the section thickness for facing is dependent on:
Tissue size and density
What may cause the lifting of sections from the microtome blade?
Debris on the block edge
Chatter is observed in a tissue section when viewed microscopically. Which of the following is the most likely cause?
Dry tissue
Agar, gelatin, and Elmer’s glue are examples of
Waterbath additives
When sectioning the blade gouges out a part of the tissue block. What would be the most likely cause?
Loose microtome lever
