Various staining techniques are utilized to visualize fibers in tissue samples. The most common methods include:
1. Masson's Trichrome Stain: This technique differentiates collagen fibers by staining them blue or green, depending on the protocol. It is particularly useful for identifying fibrotic changes in tissues.
2. Verhoeff-Van Gieson (VVG) Stain: This stain highlights elastic fibers in black, allowing for the identification of elastic tissue components.
3. Silver Stain: Reticular fibers are often visualized using silver impregnation techniques, which stain them black.
