Stains Flashcards
Derived from plants and animals; examples include Hematoxylin, Cochincal dyes, Orcein, Saffron (dried stigmata of Crocus sativus)
Natural Dyes
Hematoxylin is a natural dye obtained from the Mexican tree Hematoxylin campechianum, extracted with hot water and precipitated using urea
Hematoxylin
Hematoxylin is not a stain by itself; it requires a mordant (e.g., hematin/hematein) to be effective
Hematoxylin Staining
Natural ripening involves exposing hematoxylin to sunlight and air; takes 3-4 months; stains are Erlich’s and Delafield’s
Natural Ripening
Chemical oxidation involves oxidizing agents such as hydrogen peroxide, mercuric oxide, potassium permanganate, sodium perborate, sodium iodate; stains are Mayers, Harris (artificial ripening)
Artificial Ripening
Derived from plants and animals; examples include Hematoxylin, Cochincal dyes, Orcein, Saffron (dried stigmata of Crocus sativus)
Natural Dyes
Hematoxylin is a natural dye obtained from the Mexican tree ____ extracted with hot water and precipitated using urea
Hematoxylin campechianum
Hematoxylin is not a stain by itself; it requires a mordant to be effective; active coloring agent is
hematin/hematein
Natural ripening involves exposing hematoxylin to; takes 3-4 months; stains are Erlich’s and Delafield’s
sunlight and air
Chemical oxidation involves oxidizing agents such as hydrogen peroxide, mercuric oxide, potassium permanganate, sodium perborate, sodium iodate; stains are Mayers, Harris
Artificial Ripening
Extracted from Coccus cacti (female bug); Cochineal with alum gives Carmine dye; used as chromatin and nuclear stain for fresh and smear preparations
Cochineal Dyes
Cochineal with picric acid forms Picrocarmine, used as a neuropathologic stain
Picrocarmine
Cochineal aluminum chloride provides the best Carmine; used for demonstration of glycogen
Best Carmine
Vegetable dye extracted from lichens; used for staining elastic fibers (skin); colorless, treated with ammonia, exposed to air to produce blue/violet color; also used in litmus paper as a pH indicator
Orcein
Synthetic dyes, also known as coal tar dyes or aniline dyes, are derived from hydrocarbons such as benzene
Synthetic Dyes
Substances with definite atomic groupings that produce visible color but not permanent; simple benzene compounds containing chromophores are called
Chromogens
Substances added to a chromogen to alter its property, changing its shade, enabling it to form salts with another compound and retain color in tissue
Auxochrome
Synthetic dyes are composed of chromophore and auxochrome, which together impart permanent color to tissues
Synthetic Dyes Composition
Coloring substance found in the acid component; Basic cell structures have an affinity for acid dye ions and are called acidophilic; examples include picric acid, eosin
Acid Dyes
The coloring substance is found in the basic component that combines with the acid radical; Acidic structures have an affinity for basic dyes and are called basophilic; example: methylene blue
Basic Dyes
Formed by combining aqueous solutions of acid and basic dyes; stains cytoplasm and nucleus simultaneously and differentially; examples include Wright’s and Giemsa
Romanowsky Dyes
Hematoxylin (pH 2.5-2.9) - Most commonly used for histologic studies; combined with mordants such as alum or iron to form the dye-mordant tissue complex; filter the stain prior to use to remove metallic sheen (especially in Harris Hematoxylin)
Hematoxylin Staining
Aluminum Hematoxylin: Routinely used in H and E staining with alum as the mordant; initially stains the nuclei reddish and forms blue lakes after the blueing step; blueing agent is pH 8 (2 minutes); examples: Scott’s tap water, ammonia H2O; for progressive and regressive staining
Aluminum Hematoxylin
Harris Hematoxylin: Routinely used in nuclear staining; ripened with mercuric oxide; used in cytology (e.g., Pap’s smear, staining of sex chromosomes); regressive staining method; addition of glacial acetic acid gives precise nuclear staining
Harris Hematoxylin
Erlich’s Hematoxylin: Excellent nuclear stain; stains mucins; recommended for bone and cartilage; not for frozen sections; added to slow oxidation and prolong shelf life; regressive staining method
Erlich’s Hematoxylin
Naturally ripened; similar longevity to Ehrlich’s hematoxylin
Delafield’s Hematoxylin
Chemically ripened with sodium iodate; primarily a regressive stain
Mayer’s Hematoxylin
Hematoxylin artificially ripened with alcoholic iodine
Cole’s Hematoxylin
Hematoxylin artificially ripened with potassium iodide; used for frozen sections
Carazzi’s Hematoxylin
Hematoxylin used iron salts as both a mordant and a ripening/oxidizing agent; regressive staining
Iron Hematoxylin
Hematoxylin used ferric ammonium chloride; demonstrates muscle fibers and connective tissue
Weigert’s Hematoxylin
Hematoxylin used iron alum; used for nuclear and cytoplasmic inclusions; cytological stains; results in gray-black
Heidenhain’s Hematoxylin
Hematoxylin used for frozen sections
Loyez Hematoxylin
Hematoxylin used for elastic fibers; stains black
Vethoeff Hematoxylin
Mordant: 1% aqueous phosphotungstic acid; Oxidizer: Potassium Permanganate
Tungsten Hematoxylin
Natural ripening achieved with light and air; progressive stain; used for CNS general tissue
Phosphotungstic Acid Hematoxylin
Used for the demonstration of granules in endocrine cells of the alimentary tract; argyrophil cells
Lead Hematoxylin
Used for the study of spermatogenesis
Copper Hematoxylin
Red acid dye (xanthene), pH 4-4.5, used as counterstain after hematoxylin and before methylene blue; stains connective tissues and cytoplasm
Eosin
Yellow form, most commonly used, soluble in water, green-yellow in fluorescence
Eosin Y
Soluble in alcohol, used for staining
Eosin B, Ethyl Eosin
Demonstrates connective tissues, especially collagen fibers
Acid Fuchsin-Picric Acid (Van Gieson’s Stain)
Basic acridine fluorochrome, discriminates dead and living cells, green fluorescence for DNA, red fluorescence for RNA
Acridine Orange (Masson Stain)
Demonstrates calcium salt deposits and phosphatase activities
Acridine Red 38
Water-soluble phthalocyanin dye; stains connective tissues, epithelial mucin, acid mucopolysaccharides
Alcian Blue
Counterstains epithelial sections, cytoplasmic stain
Aniline Blue
Plasma stain; used for staining acid-fast organisms, mitochondria, differentiation of smooth muscles with picric acid
Basic Fuchsin
Used for staining hemoglobin
Benzidine
Counterstain for Gram’s technique, acid-fast organisms, and Papanicolau method; stains diphtheria organisms
Bismarck Brown
Chromatin stain for fresh materials in smear preparations; combined with aluminum chloride to stain glycogen
Carmine
Routine stain for fixed sections; resistant to strong acid dyes, good nuclear stain
Celestine
Best known as an indicator, stains elastic tissues, amyloid, myelin
Congo Red
Nuclear or chromatin stain; stains amyloid in frozen sections, platelets in blood
Crystal Violet
Stains blood for differentiating WBCs and blood parasites
Giemsa Stain
Used in metallic impregnation, composed of gold chloride and mercuric chloride
Gold Sublimate
Oldest stain, stains amyloid, cellulose, starch, carotene, glycogen; washes mercury mordant
Iodine
Used as a reagent to alter crystal and methyl violet retained by certain bacteria and fungi
Gram’s Iodine
Used to test for glycogen, amyloid, and corpora amylacea
Lugol’s Iodine
Used for demonstrating mitochondria during supravital staining
Janus Green B
Counterstain for Ascaris eggs, RBCs, spores; also used as a decolorizer and counterstain for AFS
Malachite Green
Common basic nuclear stain used with eosin; stains plasma cells, cytological examination of sputum for malignant cells, evaluation and differentiation of bacteria, diagnosis of diphtheria, vital staining of nervous tissues
Methylene Blue
Basic stain, demonstrates cell granules and vacuoles of phagocytic cells
Neutral Red
Stains elastic fibers; recommended for dermatological studies; demonstrates the finest fibers in skin
Orcein
Used to stain fat/lipids, appears black
Osmium Tetroxide
Counterstain for acid fuchsin, connective tissues (in Van Gieson’s stain), cytoplasmic stain in contrast to basic dyes, counterstain for crystal violet
Picric Acid
Colored salt of ferric ferrocyanide; used in the manufacture of paints; contrast stain, intravital staining of the circulatory system
Prussian Blue
Used with osmic acid to fix and stain blood and glandular tissues
Rhodamine B
Used for identification of spirochetes, reticulum, and fiber stains
Silver Nitrate
Used as a nuclear stain in fixed tissues; stains Nissl granules or chromophilic bodies
Toluidine Blue
Demonstrates neuroglia in frozen sections; support cells of nervous tissues
Victoria Blue