CELLOIDIN PROCESSING
✔ Purified pyroxylin nitrocellulose
✔ Suitable for specimens containing large cavities or hollow
spaces which tend to collapse (eyes) & for larger embryos
✔ Available in thin (2%), medium (4%) and thick (8%) solutions
✔ DIS: Tissues cannot be cut as thin as they are with paraffin
wax
✔ ADV: Causes much less shrinkage & distortion; slow process
With rubbery consistency – w/o distortion
Does not require heat
❖ Low Viscosity Nitrocellulose
Soluble in equal concentrations of ether and alcohol
ADVANTAGES:
✔ Can be used in higher concentrations
✔ Produces harder tissue blocks
DISADVANTAGES:
o Cracking of tissue sections and
chrome-mordanted tissues may crumble
REMEDY: add plasticizers like Castor oil,
Oleum ricini
o More explosive than celloidin
o Cannot be stored
WET METHOD
❖ for bones, teeth large brain sections & whole organs
❖ Fixation ​ ​ Dehydration ​ ​ Equal parts ether and alcohol
(12-24 hours) ​ ​ Thin celloidin: 2-4 % (5-7 days) ​ ​ Medium
celloidin: 4-6 % (5-7 days) ​ ​ Thick celloidin: 8-12 % (3-5 days)
​ Embedding: fresh thick celloidin in a jar or desiccator
(fingerprint no longer leaves a mark on block surface) ​
Storage: 70-80% alcohol
DRY METHOD
❖ Same with wet method EXCEPT for the following steps
✔ Gilson’s mixture (chloroform + cedarwood oil) is
added to the fresh thick celloidin during embedding
✔ Storage in alcohol is contraindicated
PLASTICS
❖ Provided superior results for light microscopic studies
especially of hard tissues and samples for high resolution
microscopy
TYPES OF PLASTIC MEDIA
1. EPOXY (epoxy plastic, catalyst & accelerator)
Araldite base (bisphenol) - slowest
Glycerol base (epon)
Cyclohexene Dioxide (spurr) - fastest
Disadvantages:
Reduce antigenicity
Sensitization on skin contact and inhalation
Contains toxic components (eg. Vinylcyclohexane
dioxide)
2. POLYESTER
3. ACRYLIC
For high resolution LM
Glycol Methacrylate (GMA): valued for its hydrophilic
nature
Methyl Methacrylate (MMA): valued for its hardness
Benzoyl Peroxide​ ​– added as catalyst
acts as an active site (polymerization of acrylics)
GELATIN PROCESSING
✔ Histochemical and enzyme studies
 ✔ Delicate specimens
✔ Frozen sections
✔ Water-soluble
✔ Low MP and does not overharden
❖ Fixation ​ ​ washing ​ ​ 10 % (24 hours) ​ ​ 20 % (12
hours) ​ ​ 20% until impregnation and embedding are
complete ​ ​ 10 % formalin (12-24 hours)
**All gelatin reagents contain 1 % phenol

ORIENTATION
✔ Arranging the tissue in the mold
✔ Fixing the tissue block on the microtome
✔ Arranging the tissue ribbons on the slide

Types of Embedding Molds

1. Leuckhart’s embedding mold
✔ 2 L-shaped heavy metal arranged flat on a metal
surface
2. Compound E unit
✔ with several interlocking plates making several
compartments
3. Disposable Molds
a. Peel-away (thin plastic Embedding molds)
b. Plastic Ice Trays
c. Paper boats
✔ ADV: cheap, diff sizes, avoids confusion
4. Plastic Embedding Rings & Base Molds