Stains are usually prepared as aqueous or alcoholic solutions. The process of staining involves several steps:
1. Fixation: Tissues are fixed using a reagent like formalin to preserve their structure. 2. Dehydration: Tissues are dehydrated through a series of alcohol solutions. 3. Clearing: Dehydrated tissues are cleared using a solvent like xylene to remove alcohol. 4. Embedding: Tissues are embedded in paraffin wax to facilitate sectioning. 5. Sectioning: Embedded tissues are cut into thin sections using a microtome. 6. Staining: Sections are stained using the desired stain. 7. Mounting: Stained sections are mounted on slides and covered with a coverslip for microscopic examination.
