Histopathology

"histopathology is a critical tool for diagnosing and treating a wide range of diseases."

Histopathology Techniques:

• Fixation: This is the first step in preparing a tissue sample for histopathology. It involves immersing the tissue in a fixative solution to preserve its structure and prevent degradation. Common fixatives include formalin, alcohol, and Bouin's solution.
• Embedding: Once the tissue is fixed, it is dehydrated, cleared, and embedded in a solid block of paraffin or resin to make it easier to cut into thin sections for microscopic examination.
• Sectioning: The embedded tissue is sliced into thin sections using a microtome, and the sections are mounted on glass slides.
• Staining: To enhance the visibility of the tissue structures under the microscope, the tissue sections are stained with various dyes. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining is the most common technique, which stains the nuclei blue-purple and the cytoplasm and extracellular matrix pink.
• Microscopy: The stained tissue sections are examined under a microscope, and the structures are identified and analyzed by a pathologist or histotechnologist.
• Special techniques: In addition to routine histopathology, various special techniques may be used to identify specific tissue components or pathologic conditions, such as immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, and electron microscopy.