Classification of Embedding Media and How to Choose the Appropriate Embedding Media

The softness of the tissue or the unevenness of local softness and hardness will directly affect the slicing, which will make it difficult for us to cut slices with uniform thickness and contiguous slices

1. Generally, for sections observed with an optical microscope, paraffin, collodion, carbon wax, gelatin, etc.

   
   

2. Electron microscopes use epoxy resin, polystyrene resin, isobutylene resin and water-soluble resin;

3. Hard tissue embedding (bone, teeth) is embedded in plastic, methyl ester methyl endene

   
   

 *In fact, the embedding agent is the leaching agent.

1. Paraffin: the most commonly used embedding medium, is the most classic embedding medium for pathological preparations, simple and easy to master, economical and safe

   
   

2. Carbon wax: an urgent-use embedding medium, the preparation time is short, without dehydration and transparent treatment, the tissue block shrinks less, generally 3 hours can be made into wax block; but strong water absorption, spread and wax block preservation The difficulty is relatively high

   
   

3. Collodion: It is mainly used for large tissue (soft tissue with a diameter of 3~10cm, organs, large bone tissue after demineralization, the entire femoral head and eyeball, etc.

   
   

4. Gelatin: It is rarely used in pathological preparations, and is mainly used for some animal experimental specimens

   
   

5. Resin: Mainly used for electron microscope production, the types are: epoxy resin, polystyrene resin, isobutylene resin and water-soluble resin, the usage is similar

   
   

6. Plastic: mainly used for hard tissues such as non-demineralized bone tissue, teeth,