WASHING AND

SEPARATION
MICROTECHNIQUES IN BIOLOGY
WASHING IN WATER

• Running water
• distilled water for 6–8 hours, or
overnight
• Chromic acid, potassium
dichromate, osmium tetroxide,
formalin https://pacificflyfishers.com/collections/accessories-entomology-aids

MICROTECHNIQUES IN BIOLOGY
 WASHING IN ALCOHOL

• picric acid or mercuric chloride, Zenker’s fluid

–70%
• Carnoy’s solution – 95% alcohol (2 to 3
times)
• Formalin-acetic , acid-alcohol – 70%
• Gilson’s fluid or Petrunkwitsch’s fluid – 70%
MICROTECHNIQUES IN BIOLOGY
 WASHING

WHY DO WE HAVE TO
WASH THE SPECIMEN?

MICROTECHNIQUES IN BIOLOGY
 WASHING
• Removing excess fixative
• Fixative may interfere the
staining process
• Do not wash objects in water https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.go

for more than 24 hrs.

v/pmc/articles/PMC37932
82/

MICROTECHNIQUES IN BIOLOGY
 SEPARATION
• select appropriate areas
for examination
• Specimen are placed in
suitable labeled
cassettes
• Use pencil in labeling

MICROTECHNIQUES IN BIOLOGY
SEPARATION

MICROTECHNIQUES IN BIOLOGY
REFERENCES

https://www.leicabiosystems.com/pathologyleaders/an-introduction-to-
specimen-processing/
http://www.d.umn.edu/~pschoff/documents/12HisotologicalTechniques.pdf
https://www.leicabiosystems.com/pathologyleaders/an-introduction-to-
specimen-preparation/
http://www.medlabcentral.co.nz/about-us/departments/histology.aspx
https://www.leicabiosystems.com/pathologyleaders/an-introduction-to-
specimen-preparation/
https://www.slideshare.net/nyousafmasih777/tissue-preparation-histology
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfTbIVixSD8