What Stains are Used to Identify the Stratum Granulosum?

Histological staining techniques are often used to identify the stratum granulosum. The most common stain is hematoxylin and eosin (H&E). Hematoxylin stains the nuclei blue, while eosin stains the cytoplasm and extracellular matrix pink. The keratohyalin granules in the stratum granulosum appear as dark basophilic granules due to their affinity for the hematoxylin stain. Other stains like Periodic Acid-Schiff (PAS) can be used to highlight the glycoproteins within the granules.