The staining procedure generally involves the following steps:
Deparaffinization: The tissue sections are deparaffinized and rehydrated through graded alcohols to water. Silver Ammoniacal Solution: Sections are treated with freshly prepared ammoniacal silver solution. Reduction: The argentaffin substances reduce the silver ions to metallic silver, appearing as black or dark brown deposits. Counterstaining: A counterstain, often nuclear fast red, is applied to provide contrast. Dehydration and Mounting: The sections are then dehydrated, cleared, and mounted for microscopic examination.
