Fixation of tissues
4 Fixation of tissues Anthony Rhodes Introduction Appropriate fixation of tissues for histological examination is extremely important. Without attention to this process, the range of tests performed in a modern…
Pigments and minerals
13 Pigments and minerals Guy E. Orchard Introduction In biology, pigments are defined as substances occurring in living matter that absorb visible light (electromagnetic energy within a narrow band that…
Molecular pathology
21 Molecular pathology Diane L. Sterchi, Caroline Astbury Introduction Molecular pathology seeks to apply gene expression against morphology and use gene expression analysis to validate large numbers of targets. A…
Microorganisms
15 Microorganisms Jeanine H. Bartlett Introduction We have all heard the expression, ‘The world is getting smaller’. Nowhere is that statement truer than in the world of microorganisms. Microorganisms (also…
Techniques in neuropathology
17 Techniques in neuropathology J. Robin Highley, Nicky Sullivan Introduction Neuropathology has classically been seen as something of a dark art by general histologists because of the tradition of using…
Tissue processing
6 Tissue processing Lena T. Spencer, John D. Bancroft Incorporating Microarray Wanda Grace Jones Introduction After the removal of a tissue sample from the patient, a series of physical and…
Carbohydrates
12 Carbohydrates Christopher Layton, John D. Bancroft Introduction The word ‘carbohydrate’ is used to encompass a large group of compounds with the general formula Cn(H2O)n. While the role of carbohydrates…
Plastic embedding for light microscopy
8 Plastic embedding for light microscopy Neil M. Hand Introduction Paraffin wax is a suitable embedding medium for most tissues, combining adequacy of tissue support with ease of sectioning on…
