What Challenges Exist in Standardizing Tissue Preparation?
Tissue preparation involves multiple steps, each susceptible to variation:
- Fixation: Different fixatives and fixation times can alter tissue morphology. Over-fixation or under-fixation can lead to poor preservation of structures. - Embedding: Variations in embedding media and techniques can affect sectioning quality and tissue integrity. - Sectioning: Consistent thickness of sections is necessary for accurate analysis. Variations can lead to differences in staining intensity and tissue structure. - Staining: Different batches of stains and variations in staining protocols can result in inconsistent coloration and difficulty in interpreting results.
