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Histology / Immunohistochemistry Laboratory
Mary Vaughan, HT (ASCP) |
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Histology
Histology is the branch of biology which studies the microscopic anatomy/structure of cells and tissues of plants and animals. It is an essential tool used in biology and medicine. A microscope is used to examine a thin slice of tissue.
Fixation
In order for the tissue to be of use it needs to be fixed and preserved. The tissue, cell structures and the organelles are biomechanically stabilized in a fixative. Formalin (formaldehyde in Phosphate buffered saline) is the most common fixative, this is neutral and buffered and does no damage to the tissue that needs to be preserved.
