Fixative Information and Courses from MediaLab, Inc.
These are the MediaLab courses that cover Fixative and links to relevant pages within the course.
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| Fixation and Processing of the Biopsy Specimen The biopsy specimen is usually fixed in Zenkers’ acetic solution (5% glacial acetic acid; 95% Zenkers) for 6-18 hours or B-5 fixative for one to two hours. Excessive time in either fixative makes the tissue brittle, then briefly decalcified.
The tissue is processed together with other tissues, and is embedded in paraffin and cut at 4 µm and stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Perls’ Prussian blue iron stain, and other special stains as indicated. | View Page |
| Biopsy Section and Bone Marrow Smear The biopsy section and bone marrow smear can both be used for evaluating iron stores. If the biopsy section is used, the fixative chosen for processing the specimen should not contain acid. Acid fixative can remove iron from the tissue, producing the false impression of iron deficiency. | View Page |
| Amebas stained with this substance may be readily distinguished since this it enhances nuclear and structural detail: | View Page |
| Which of the following is considered as the best fixative for maintaining specimen integrity during and following permanent staining? | View Page |
| A stool collected at a local doctor's office was received in the laboratory for parasitic examination. The sample was not received in fixative and due to the new courier system did not arrive in the lab within the traditionally acceptable time frame. Due to logistical difficulties of the patient collecting and submitting another sample, the laboratory director authorized the sample to be processed. The comment "specimen delayed in transit, please evaluate results accordingly" was included in the report. These two suspicious forms were seen upon examination of the specimen. Label these two forms: | View Page |
| Materials Needed The following is a list of materials needed for semen analysis. Laboratories will differ slightly in the equipment used. Use of this equipment will be described further in the later pages of this course.
Materials needed include:graduated test tube or serological pipets with safety bulb to measure volumepH paper in neutral to basic range (e.g. 7.2-8.8)counting chamber and/or automated counting machineglass slides and coverslips for wet mount if motility and sperm count are to be assessed separatelyhand counterif dilution is donediluting fluid calibrated automatic pipetspositive pressure pipets and glass boreslight microscope with phase contrast objectives for sperm count and bright field objectives for morphology assessmentglass slides and fixative for morphology slidesset-up for performing Papanicolaou or other morphology stainingEvery laboratory should also have a copy of the "WHO Laboratory Manual for the Examination of Human Semen and Sperm-Cervical Mucus Interaction", published on behalf of the WHO by Cambridge University Press. The fourth edition was published in 1999. | View Page |