What are the Sample Preparation Steps for SEM in Histology?

Preparing biological samples for SEM involves several steps:

Fixation: The sample is fixed using chemical fixatives like glutaraldehyde to preserve the cellular structures.
Dehydration: The sample is dehydrated using a series of ethanol solutions to remove water.
Drying: Critical-point drying or freeze-drying is employed to prevent the collapse of structures due to surface tension.
Coating: The sample is coated with a thin layer of a conductive material, typically gold or platinum, to prevent charging under the electron beam.