Adhesives and Mounting Media

Question 1

Last step in tissue processing that results in a permanent histological preparation suitable for microscopy

Answer 1

Mounting

Question 2

Alternative to drying to promote adhesion of sections

Answer 2

Adhesives

Question 3

Substance which can be smeared on to the slides so that the sections stick well to the slides

Answer 3

Adhesives

Question 4

Most commonly used adhesives because it is very easy to make, convenient, and relatively inexpensive

Answer 4

Mayer’s Egg Albumin

Question 5

Added to albumin to prevent the growth of molds

Answer 5

Thymol

Question 6

Components of Mayer’s Egg Albumin

Answer 6

egg white, glycerin, and thymol

Question 7

Most convenient alternative to direct coating of slides

Answer 7

Gelatin (1%)

Question 8

Adhesive widely used in immunohistochemistry

Answer 8

POLY-L-LYSINE

Question 9

Adhesive that is very useful in cytology, particularly for cytospin preparations of proteinaceous or bloody material

Answer 9

APES (3-aminopropyl-thriethoxysilane)

Question 10

Adhesives better than poly-L-lysine coated slides because they can be stored for a long time without losing their adhesiveness

Answer 10

APES (3-aminopropyl-thriethoxysilane)

Question 11

It is important consideration in mounting medium because it governs the contrast between the cellular detail and the background, and also the transparency of the observed sample against the bright field of the microscope

Answer 11

Refractive Index

Question 12

True or False: mounting media must always have an RI lower than the mounted sample to impart more transparency

Answer 12

False (higher)

Question 13

Two Main Groups of Mounting Media

Answer 13

Aqueous and Resinous

Question 14

Used for mounting sections from distilled water when the stains would be decolorized or removed by alcohol and xylene as would be the case with most of the fat stains (Sudan methods) or for metachromatic staining of amyloid

Answer 14

Aqueous mounting media

Question 15

Aqueous mounting media are made up of:

Answer 15

• gelatin, glycerin jelly or gum arabic (to solidify the medium)
• glycerol (to prevent cracking and drying of the preparation)
• sugar (to increase the refractive-index)
• preservative solution

Question 16

Generally suitable for all enzymatic label/chromogen combinations and fluorescent labels

Answer 16

Aqueous mounting media

Question 17

Media for phycobiliprotein fluorescent labels (phycoerythrin, phycocyanin) must not contain __________ as this quenches the staining intensity

Answer 17

glycerol

Question 18

Mounting media used for sections of tissue embedded in plastic compounds (such as epoxy resins)

Answer 18

Resinous mounting media

Question 19

Mounting media used for preparations that have been dehydrated and cleared in xylene or toluene, and are recommended for majority of staining methods

Answer 19

Resinous mounting media

Question 20

Used of synthetic resins

Answer 20

embedding undecalcified bones and for electron microscopy

Question 21

Protect the tissue from being scratched, to provide better optical quality for viewing under the microscope, and to preserve the tissue section for years to come

Answer 21

Cover Slipping

Question 22

Process of sealing the margins of the cover-slip to prevent the escape of fluid or semi-fluid mounts and evaporation of mountant, to fix the coverslip in place, and to prevent sticking of the slides upon storage

Answer 22

Ringing

Question 23

Examples of Aqueous Mounting media

Answer 23

Water
Glycerin
Glycerin Jelly
Farrant’s Medium
Apatrhy’s Medium
Brun’s Fluid

Question 24

Examples of Resinous Mounting media

Answer 24

Canada Balsam
DPX (Dibutyl Phthalate and Xylene)
XAM
Clarite (Clarite X)

Question 25

Mounting media that is moderately transparent and evaporates easily (good only for temporary mounting)

Answer 25

Water

Question 26

Mounting media that is used as a preservative and a standard mountant for fat stains

Answer 26

Glycerin

Question 27

Mounting media that is very suitable to semi-permanent mounting medium

Answer 27

Glycerin

Question 28

Commonly used to mount sections for immunofluorescence

Answer 28

Phosphate buffered glycerol (RI = 1.47)

Question 29

Standard mounting medium used when dehydration and clearing with xylene cannot be made (as in fat stains)

Answer 29

Glycerin Jelly

Question 30

It has the highest index of refraction and provides the best viewing

Answer 30

Pure glycerin

Question 31

Often used as a mountant in immunofluorescence microscopy; recommended as an alternative for glycerin jelly

Answer 31

Polyvinyl Alcohol (RI: 1.5)

Question 32

Mountant used for fluorescent labels with paraphenylene-diamine as antifading agent

Answer 32

Polyvinyl Alcohol (RI: 1.5)

Question 33

Used to preserve Farrant's Medium

Answer 33

sodium merthiolate

Question 34

Substitute of sodium merthiolate for preservation of the medium

Answer 34

Arsenic Trioxide

Question 35

Mountant used for methylene blue-stained nerve preparations and as a general purpose aqueous mountant

Answer 35

Apathy's Medium

Question 36

One of the most useful aqueous mountants for fluorescent microscopy

Answer 36

Apathy's Medium

Question 37

Mountant that does not require ringing

Answer 37

Apathy's Medium

Question 38

Recommended for mounting frozen sections

Answer 38

Brun's Fluid

Question 39

Natural resin extracted from the Canadian tree Abus Balsamea

Answer 39

Canada Balsam

Question 40

Mountant that is transparent, almost colorless oleoresin that adheres firmly to glass and sets to a hard consistency without granulation

Answer 40

Canada Balsam

Question 41

Mountant that darkens slightly with age and slowly becomes acid because it oxidizes xylene causing gradual fading of many stains (it should be kept in a dark glass bottle)

Answer 41

Canada Balsam

Question 42

Recommended for whole mounts and for thick sections

Answer 42

Canada Balsam

Question 43

Recommended for small tissue sections but not for whole mounts because of shrinkage produced on drying

Answer 43

DPX (Dibutyl Phthalate and Xylene)