Name: microscope slide prep and staining
Uploaded: 2023-04-30T11:59:49.000Z
Duration: 1 min 3 s
Channel: JoVE

Most biological tissue samples are thick and opaque and must be processed before being observed under a microscope.
The tissues are first treated using a fixing solution that kills the cells and immobilizes the cellular components to maintain their structure.
The fixed samples are passed through an increasing gradient of alcohol, which dehydrates the sample.
To prevent the fragile samples from being damaged, they are embedded in a water-repelling material like paraffin wax and sliced into thin sections with a microtome.
The thin sections are transferred to slides, where a few drops of organic solvents are added to remove the adhering wax.
Next, the sections are stained, and a mounting medium is added, with a coverslip on top. The mounting medium should have the same refractive index as the coverslip and the slide to obtain the best image resolution.
The sample is now ready for visualization under a microscope.

fixation and sectioning

Fixation and Sectioning

Two basic types of preparation are used to visualize specimens with a light microscope: wet mounts and fixed specimens.
The simplest type of preparation is the wet mount, in which the specimen is placed in a drop of liquid on the slide. A liquid specimen can be directly deposited on the slide using a dropper. Solid specimens, such as skin scraping, can be placed on the slide before adding a drop of liquid to prepare the wet mount. Sometimes the liquid is simply water, but stains are often added to enhance contrast. Once the liquid has been added to the slide, a coverslip is placed on top, and the specimen is ready for examination under the microscope.
The second method of preparing specimens for light microscopy is fixation. The &#8220;fixing&#8221; of a sample refers to the process of attaching cells to a slide. Fixation is often achieved by heating (heat fixing) or chemically treating the specimen. In addition to attaching the specimen to the slide, fixation also kills microorganisms in the specimen, stopping their movement and metabolism while preserving the integrity of their cellular components for observation.
To heat-fix a sample, a thin layer of the specimen is spread on the slide (called a smear), and the slide is then briefly heated over a heat source. Chemical fixatives are often preferable to heat for tissue specimens. Chemical agents such as acetic acid, ethanol, methanol, formaldehyde (formalin), and glutaraldehyde can denature proteins, stop biochemical reactions, and stabilize cell structures in tissue samples.
In addition to fixation, staining is almost always applied to color certain features of a specimen before examining it under a light microscope. Stains, or dyes, contain salts made up of a positive ion and a negative ion. Depending on the type of dye, the positive or the negative ion may be the chromophore (the colored ion); and the other uncolored ion is called the counterion. If the chromophore is the positively charged ion, the stain is classified as a basic dye; if the negative ion is the chromophore, the stain is considered an acidic dye.
Dyes are selected for staining based on the chemical properties of the dye and the specimen being observed, which determine how the dye will interact with the specimen. In most cases, it is preferable to use a positive stain, a dye that will be absorbed by the cells or organisms being observed, adding color to objects of interest to make them stand out against the background. However, there are scenarios where it is advantageous to use a negative stain absorbed by the background but not by the cells or organisms in the specimen. Negative staining produces an outline or silhouette of the organisms against a colorful background.
Because cells typically have negatively charged cell walls, the positive chromophores in basic dyes tend to stick to the cell walls, making them positive stains. Thus, basic dyes such as basic fuchsin, crystal violet, malachite green, methylene blue, and safranin typically serve as positive stains. On the other hand, the negatively charged chromophores in acidic dyes are repelled by negatively charged cell walls, making them negative stains. Commonly used acidic dyes include acid fuchsin, eosin, and rose bengal.
Some staining techniques involve the application of only one dye to the sample; others require more than one dye. In simple staining, a single dye is used to emphasize particular structures in the specimen. A simple stain will generally make all of the organisms in a sample appear the same color, even if the sample contains more than one type of organism. In contrast, differential staining distinguishes organisms based on their interactions with multiple stains. In other words, two organisms in a differentially stained sample may appear different colors. Differential staining techniques commonly used in clinical settings include Gram staining, acid-fast staining, endospore staining, flagella staining, and capsule staining.
This text is adapted from <a href="https://openstax.org/books/microbiology/pages/2-4-staining-microscopic-specimens">Openstax, Microbiology 2e, Section 2.4: </a><a href="https://openstax.org/books/microbiology/pages/2-4-staining-microscopic-specimens">Staining microscopic specimens</a>

Two basic types of preparation are used to visualize specimens with a light microscope: wet mounts and fixed specimens.
The simplest type of preparation ...

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microscope slide prep and staining

Microscope slide preparation includes wet mounts, fixation, and staining. These steps help make specimens easier to see under a light microscope. They also help preserve cells and highlight important structures.

A wet mount is the simplest slide preparation. The specimen is placed in a drop of liquid on the slide. A liquid sample can be added directly with a dropper, and a solid sample, such as a skin scraping, can be placed on the slide before the liquid is added. The liquid is sometimes water, but stains are often mixed in to improve contrast. A coverslip is placed on top, and the sample is then ready for viewing.

The other main method is fixation, which means attaching cells to the slide. Fixation can be done with heat or with chemicals. Heat fixing uses a thin smear of the specimen that is briefly heated over a heat source. This method also kills microorganisms, stops movement and metabolism, and helps preserve cell structures for observation. Chemical fixatives are often better for tissue samples. Common chemical agents include acetic acid, ethanol, methanol, formaldehyde, and glutaraldehyde. These chemicals denature proteins, stop biochemical reactions, and stabilize cell structures.

Staining is usually used along with fixation to add color before light microscopy. Stains, or dyes, are salts with a positive ion and a negative ion. The colored ion is called the chromophore, and the uncolored ion is the counterion. If the chromophore is positive, the dye is a basic dye. If the chromophore is negative, the dye is an acidic dye. Dyes are chosen based on the chemical properties of both the dye and the specimen.

Most of the time, a positive stain is preferred because it is absorbed by the cells or organisms being observed. This makes the objects of interest stand out from the background. In some cases, a negative stain works better. A negative stain colors the background but not the cells, so the organisms appear as outlines or silhouettes. Because cell walls are usually negatively charged, basic dyes tend to stick to them and act as positive stains. Examples include basic fuchsin, crystal violet, malachite green, methylene blue, and safranin. Acidic dyes have negatively charged chromophores and are repelled by negatively charged cell walls. Common acidic dyes include acid fuchsin, eosin, and rose bengal.

Some staining methods use one dye, while others use more than one. Simple staining uses a single dye to make certain structures easier to see. It usually makes all organisms in a sample appear the same color, even when more than one type is present. Differential staining uses multiple stains to tell organisms apart. In a differentially stained sample, two organisms may appear different colors. Common differential stains used in clinical settings include Gram staining, acid-fast staining, endospore staining, flagella staining, and capsule staining.

Microscope Slide Prep and Staining

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key terms and concepts

Learn how wet mounts, fixation, and staining prepare specimens for light microscopy, including positive and negative stains and simple versus differential staining.

Microscope Slide Prep and Staining | JoVE K12

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Microscope Slide Prep and Staining

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