Mounting
o Last step in tissue processing that
results in permanent histological
preparation suitable for
microscopy, after adhesion of the
section on to the slide and
appropriate staining of the tissue
o Mounting medium is usually a
syrupy fluid applied between the
section and the cover slip after
staining
Characteristic of Good Mounting
Medium
Colorless and transparent
Miscible with xylene and toluene
Should protect the section from physical
damage and chemical activity
Should not cause shrinkage and
distortion of tissues
Should not teach out any stain or affect
staining
Mounting media may be divided into 2
main groups:
o Aqueous Media
o Resinous Media
Aqueous Media
o Water
Low refractive index
Good for only temporary mounting
o Glycerin
Used as preservative
Refractive index of 1.46
Regarded as the standard mountant for
fat stains
o Farrant’s Medium
Refractive index 1.43
o Apathy’s Medium
Refractive index 1.52
Used for methylene blue: stained nerve
preparations and as general purpose
aqueous mountant
Does not require ringing
o Brun’s Fluid
For mounting frozen sections from water
Resinous Media
o Canada Balsam
Refractive index 1.524
Natural resin extracted from the
Canadian tree, Abus balsamea
o DPX (Dibutyl Pthalate and Xylene)
Refractive index 1.532
Recommended for small tissue sections
but not for whole mounts because of
shrinkage produced on drying
o XAM
Refractive index 1.52
o Clarite
Refractive index 1.544