What are the common staining techniques used in Histology?
Staining is fundamental in histology to differentiate between various tissue components. Some of the most widely used staining techniques include:
- Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E): The most common stain, hematoxylin stains nuclei blue, while eosin stains cytoplasm and extracellular matrix pink. - Periodic Acid-Schiff (PAS): Stains carbohydrates and glycoproteins in tissues, useful in identifying basement membranes. - Masson's Trichrome: Differentiates between muscle, collagen fibers, and nuclei, often used in liver biopsies. - Immunohistochemistry (IHC): Utilizes antibodies to detect specific antigens, providing information about protein expression.
