What are the common washing solutions used in histology?
Common washing solutions include distilled water, saline, phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), and various alcohols like ethanol and methanol. Distilled water is often used to rinse away water-soluble reagents, while PBS is used in immunohistochemical procedures to maintain pH stability. Alcohols are typically employed in dehydration steps to replace water in the tissues with a solvent compatible for embedding in paraffin.
