SUBSTANCE BP SCI NAME T F C MUST PROS

A. DEHYDRATION
1.ACETONE 56 CH3COCH3 Y&V RAPID
INEXPENSIVE
CH3CH2CHOHC
2. BUTYL 117.7 SLOW
H3
LESS SHRINKAGE AND HARDENING
THAN ETHANOL
USE GRAD
3. ETHANOL 78.3 C2H5OH SAFE SOLUTIONS (NO BEST ROUTINE DEHYDRANT
DISTORTION
INEXPENSIVE -SAME TAX AS
BEVERAGE ALCOHOL
4. ISOPROPYL 82.3 CH3CH2CH2OH ETHANOL SUBSTITUTE
LESS SHRINKAGE AND HARDENING
THAN ETHANOL
LESS EXPENSIVE THAN ETHANOL
USE GRAD
5. METHANOL 64.5 CH3OH SOLUTIONS (NO ETHANOL SUBSTITUTE
DISTORTION

HISTORICAL
DEHYDRANTS
6. ETHYLENE
GLYCOL
DOES NOT REQ
MONOETHYL 156.4 RAPID
GRAD SOLN
ETHER
(CELLOSOLVE)

7. DIOXANE 101.5 NOT ROUT USED

TOXIC
8.
NON-
TETRAHYDROFURA 65 RAPID
TOXIC
N
NO EXCESSIVE HARDENING OR
SHRINKAGE
 MISCIBLE WITH CONS

SHRINKAGE
STRONG ODOUR
STRONG ODOUR

PARAFFIN

WATER AND REPLACES IT

ENTIRELY

HYGROSCOPIC
INSOLUBLE IN
CELLOIDIN

WATER AND REPLACES IT

SHRINKAGE
ENTIRELY

HYGROSCOPIC EXPENSIVE

WITH WATER, PARAFFIN,

VERY EXPENSIVE
ALCOHOL, XYLENE
STRONG ODOUR
WITH WATER XYLENE AND
DISTORTION
TOLUENE

EVAPORATES
QUICKLY
STRONG ODOUR
SUBSTANCE BP CHEM NAME CLEARS 5 mm SPEC CHAR PROS
B. CLEARING

1. XYLENE(XYLOL) 138 TO 144 C6H4(CH3)2 0.5 TO 1 HR 3 FORMS O M P RAPID

DOES NOT DISSOLVE CELLOIDIN

DOES NOT EXTRACT ANILINE DYES
EASILY ELIMINATED FROM WAX
INEXPENSIVE
SOAK FOR 12 HRS WITHOUT EXCESSIVE
2. TOLUENE 111 C5H5CH3 0.5 TO 1 HR HARDENING
RAPID
DOES NOT MAKE TISSUE HARD OR
BRITTLE LIKE XYLENE
EASILY ELIMINATED FROM WAX
3. BENZENE 80 C6H5 1- 3HRS RAPID
LESS BRITTLE THAN TOLUENE OR XYLENE
MINIMAL SHRINKAGE
EASILY ELIMINATED FROM WAX
4, CEDARWOOD OIL 2 -3 DAYS CLEARS READILY FROM 95% ETHANOL
TOLERANT - LITTLE SHRINKAGE OR
BRITTLENESS
DOES NOT EXTRACT ANILINE DYES

END PONT OF
CLEARING DET IS
5. CHLOROFORM 61.5 CHCL3 12-24 HRS HARD TOLERANT- NO HARDENING

NO CHANGE IN
REFRACTIVE INDEX FOR LARGE SPECIMENS

NO CHANGE IN
6. CARBON TET 76.7 CCl4 8-15 HRS REFRACTIVE INDEX CHEAPER THAN CHLOROFORM
TOLERANT

7. METHY BENZOATE
(DER OF BENZENE) COOCH3 TOLERANT - NO HARDENING

MISCIBLE WITH ALCOHOL AND XYLENE

RAPID
8. XYLENE ALT. LESS TOXIC THAN XYLENE?
FROM CITRUS
9. ALIPHATIC
HYDROCARBONS NONCYCLIC CPDS LESS UNPLEASANT IN ODOR, SATIS. STG
LESS TOXIC THAN XYLENE?
CONS

CLEARED ONLY FROM ABSOLUTE ALCOHOL

MAKES TISSUE HARD AND BRITTLE IN LONG EXP

FLAMMABLE
IRRITANT

CLEARS ONLY FROM ABSOLUTE ALCOHOL

TOXIC AND FUMES ARE NARCOTIC
STRONG UNPLEASANT ODOR

FLAMMABLE
EVAPORATES READILY
VERY TOXIC , CARCINOGENIC (INHALATION AND SKIN)
TOO TOXIC
VERY SLOW

TOO EXPENSIVE
DIFFICULT TO REMOVE FROM WAX
STRONG ODOUR

TOXIC AND ANAESTHETIC

ABSORBS MOISTURE FROM AIR

DIFFICULT TO REMOVE FROM WAX
EYE IRRITANT

VERY TOXIC AND NARCOTIC, TISSUE DAMAGE

DIFFICULT TO REMOVE FROM WAX

TOXIC

RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVE

EXT STRONG ODOUR AND UNPLEASANT

OILINESS IMPEDES PENETRATION OF TISSUE
LONGER CLEARING
IMMERSION FOR > 1 HR = FADING
EVAPORATES MORE QUICKLY - ARTIFACTS
TECHNIQUES
1. CHELATING AGENTS, 2.SIMPLE SOLN BY ION EXCHANGE, 3. SIMPLE SOLN VIA ACID RGT 4. ELECTROPHORETIC REMOVAL OF CALCIUM WITH ELEC CURRENT
DECALCIFICATION CHEM MUST V/V IN
A. ACID SOLNS
1. FORMIC ACID HCOOH CHANGE SOLN EVERY 12-24HRS 8-17%

2. NITRIC ACID HNO3 CHECK EVERY 4 HRS 5-10%

ALSO: HCL, C3H4(OH)(COOH)3 CITRIC, CCL3COOH TCA

B. CHELATING AGENTS

1. EDTA DET END PT BY OXALATE TEST OR XRAY 5.5 TO 10% IN P04 BUFFER
MAY BE DIRECTLLY TRANSFERRED TO 70%
ALC- NO NEED TO WASH

C. DECALCIFYING FLUDS COMP DECALCIFY CONS

DEC. IN 3-7 CHEM TESTING CANNOT

1. VON EBNERS FLUID NACl, H20, HCL DAYS DET END
RELATIVELY SLOW

DEC. IN 2-7 CHEM TESTING CANNOT

2. PERENYI'S FLUID 10% V/V HNO3 DAYS DET END
0.5% V/V CR203 VERY SLOW
ABS ETHANOL

COMMERCIAL DECAL: RDO CAL-EX, DECALCIFYING FLUID ETC

OF CALCIUM WITH ELEC CURRENT
CHARACTERISTICS

EXTENSIVE USE IN MIXTURE

MINIMAL DAMAGE TO TISSUE
SLOW IN ACTION
LESS DETRIMENTAL TO TISSUE AGS
ACTS QUICKLY
DAMAGES TISSUE
INHIBITS NUCLEAR STAINING
NOT WIDELY USED

IRON MG AND OTHR METALS ARE ALSO CHELATED

NOT FOR HEMOSIDERIN DEMO.

DOES NOT ALTER STAINING
TISSUE IS NOT HARDENED
COMB. WITH CA TO FORM SOLUBLE NON-IONIZED CPD
VERY SLOW
PRESERVES ENZYMES
HARD BLOCKS ARE HARD TO CUT
PROS

REASONABLE NUCLEAR STG

NO NEED TO WASH
REC FOR TEETH

GENTLE DECAL; GOOD NUCLEAR AND CYTOPLASMIC DETAIL

NO NEUTRALIZATION NEEDED
TRANSFER DIRECT TO 90% ALC

ALSO FOR SURFACE DECAL OF PARAFFIN BLOCKS

EMBEDDING MEDIUM MP SPEC CHAR PROS
1. PARAFFIN 45 -50-SOFT MOST COMMON LOW TOXICITY
52-60-HARD ADDITIVES: AVAILABILITY AND LOW COST
RUBBER, SYN PLASTIC
REC: 54-58 POLYMERS EASE OF TISSUE STG PRESERVATION
ASPHALT BEESWAX OF CELLULAR ELEMENTS
MIXES: PARAPLAST EASE IN MICROTOME
TISSUEMAT EASY STORAGE
TISSUEPREP, AMERAFFIN
SURGIPATH
2. CARBOWAX / H20 SOL 38-42 LMWT POLYETHYLENE GLYCOLS OVER PARAFFIN:
WAX 45-56 HMWT 1.MNIMAL SHRINKAGE- NOT SAME D AND c
2. BETTER SUPPORT
3. LIPID DEMONSTRATION- DOES NOT DISSOLVE

4. ENZYME DEMONSTRATION - NO HEAT INCORP

5. TISSUE NOT EXPOSED TO HEAT OR ORG. RGT- NOT
BRITTLE

3. NITROCELLULOSE PLASTICS HAVE ELIM FIRMER SUPPORT THAN PARAFFIN

CELLOIDIN / GUNCOTTON USE OF THIS REQ NO HEAT
FOR VERY HARD BONE OR
FRAGILE BRAIN OFFERS FIRMS SUPOORT

DER. OF CELLULOSE NO SHRINKAGE

NO HARDENING OF TISSUE
CONS
HEAT OF PARAFFIN CAUSES SHRINKAGE
OF TISSUE

NOT PRACTICAL
1. SECTION VERY SOL IN WATER ALCOHOL
AND IN CLEARING AGTS
(FLOATING IS DIFF.)
2. MOUNTING - SECTIONS WRINKLE, MEDIUM
DISINTEGRATES IN WATER

3. STORAGE- BLOCKS MUST BE COV

BY PARAFFIN OR ELSE THEY CRUMBLE
OR IN DESSICATOR
WEEKS)
SECTIONS ARE THICK 12-15U

BLOCKS STORED IN 70% ETHANOL

KNIFE AND BLOCK MOIST WITH ETHANOL
BEFORE CUTTING
HIGHLY FLAMMABLE
BURNED