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Histopathology Fixation

This document lists and describes various chemical fixatives used to preserve biological samples for microscopy. It includes fixatives commonly used for light microscopy like formaldehyde and glutaraldehyde. It also mentions osmium tetroxide and chromate fixatives used for electron microscopy as well as picric acid used occasionally for light microscopy and routinely for brain perfusion. The document provides information on the tissues each fixative is recommended for.

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Adrian Velasco
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33 views2 pages

Histopathology Fixation

This document lists and describes various chemical fixatives used to preserve biological samples for microscopy. It includes fixatives commonly used for light microscopy like formaldehyde and glutaraldehyde. It also mentions osmium tetroxide and chromate fixatives used for electron microscopy as well as picric acid used occasionally for light microscopy and routinely for brain perfusion. The document provides information on the tissues each fixative is recommended for.

Uploaded by

Adrian Velasco
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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1.

Formaldehyde - fixes tissue by cross-linking the proteins, primarily the residues of the
basic amino acid lysine; used as a fixative for cell smears
2. Glutaraldehyde – utilized for routine light microscopy and also satisfactory for EM
3. Mercuric chloride - Frequently used in saturated aqueous solutions of 5–7%
4. Chromate fixatives – used in 1 - 2% aq. solution, usually as a constituent of compound fixative;
precipitates all proteins and adequately preserves carbohydrates
5. Picric acid (bouin’-  recommended for electron microscopy and which has since been used
occasionally for light-microscopic immunocytochemistry, has been supplemented with
glutaraldehyde and used as primary fixative for the perfusion of rat brains.
6. Acetic acid - incorporated in compound fixatives to help prevent the loss of nucleic acids and,
because it swells collagen, to counter the shrinkage caused by other ingredients such as ethanol.
7. Acetone - For the study of water diffusible enzymes (phosphatases and lipases)
8. TRICHLOROACETICACID – Precipitates protein, softens dense fibrous tissues
9. Osmium tetroxide – used for fixation of biological materials
10. 10% formal saline - Recommended for fixation of CNS tissues and general post–mortem tissues
for histochemical examinations
11. 10% NBF - made up of 40% formaldehyde with NaH2PO4 and Na2HPO4; recommended for
preservation and storage of surgical, post–mortem and research specimens
12. 10% neutral buffered formalin - well suited for large throughput laboratories, and requires a
relatively short period of fixation, but can also be used for the long-term storage of tissue.
13. Heidenhain’s Susa - Recommended mainly for tumor biopsies especially of the skin
14. Formal sublimate – recommended for routine post–mortem tissues
15. Zenker’s fluid - recommended for fixing small pieces of liver spleen, CT fibers and nuclei
16. Zenker formal (Kelly’s solution) -  rapid-acting fixative for animal tissues.
17. Zenker’s solution – recommended for pituitary gland, bonemarrow, and blood containing organs
such as spleen and liver
18. Flemming’s solution - Recommended for nuclear preservation
19. Flemming’s fluid - Recommended for cytoplasmic structures
20. Carnoy’s fluid - recommended for fixing chromosomes, lymph glands and urgent biopsies
21. Gendre’s fluid – gives good fixation of glycogen
22. Newcomer’s fluid – made up of isopropyl alcohol, propionic acid, petroleum ether, acetone and
dioxane
23. Potassium dichromate - used in 3% aq. solution; preserves lipids and mitochondria
24. Regaud’s fluid - recommended for demonstration of chromatin, mitochondria, mitoticfigures,
Golgibody, RBC, and colloid–containing tissues
25. Orth’s fluid - for study of early degenerative processes and tissue necrosis
26. Lead fixative - Used in 4% aq. Solution of basic lead acetate
27. Glacial acetic acid fixative - Used in conjunction with other fixatives to form a compound
solution. Useful in the study of nuclear components of the cell, fixes and precipitates
nucleoproteins, chromosomes and chromatins
28. 100% Methyl Alcohol - fixes dry and wet smears, blood and bone marrow smear
29. 70–100% Ethyl Alcohol - fixes blood and tissue smears

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