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Fixation and Sectioning

Fixation and Sectioning

Two basic types of preparation are used to visualize specimens with a light microscope: wet mounts and fixed specimens.
The simplest type of preparation is the wet mount, in which the specimen is placed in a drop of liquid on the slide. A liquid specimen can be directly deposited on the slide using a dropper. Solid specimens, such as skin scraping, can be placed on the slide before adding a drop of liquid to prepare the wet mount. Sometimes the liquid is simply water, but stains are often added...

Preparation of Samples for Electron Microscopy

Preparation of Samples for Electron Microscopy

To be visualized by an electron microscope, either transmission or scanning, biological samples need to be fixed (stabilized) so the electron beam does not destroy them and dried thoroughly (desiccated/dehydrated) so the vacuum does not affect them. Fixation needs to be done as quickly as possible because the sample properties will start changing as soon as it is removed from its natural environment. For example, in a tissue sample, the oxygen levels begin decreasing, causing an altered...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Preparation of Non-human Primate Brain Tissue for Pre-embedding Immunohistochemistry and Electron Microscopy

Preparation of Non-human Primate Brain Tissue for Pre-embedding Immunohistochemistry and Electron Microscopy

Published on: April 3, 2017

Processing biological tissues for ultrastructural study.

José A Mascorro¹, John J Bozzola

¹Department of Structural and Cellular Biology, Tulane University Health Science Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)

|July 28, 2007

Summary

This study details the standard electron microscopy preparation process for biological tissues. It covers chemical fixation, dehydration, embedding, and staining for ultrastructural analysis.

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Last Updated: Jul 13, 2026

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Preparation of Mouse Brain Tissue for Immunoelectron Microscopy

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Published on: July 20, 2010

Area of Science:

Biological Sciences
Microscopy
Cell Biology

Background:

Electron microscopy (EM) requires meticulous sample preparation for ultrastructural analysis.
Chemical fixation is a critical step for preserving cellular and tissue morphology.

Purpose of the Study:

To outline the established protocol for preparing biological tissues for electron microscopy.
To detail the chemical fixation, dehydration, embedding, and staining procedures.

Main Methods:

Tissues are fixed using glutaraldehyde and paraformaldehyde solutions.
Secondary fixation with osmium tetroxide follows, then dehydration with ethanol.
Embedding in epoxy resin, polymerization, thin-sectioning, and heavy metal counterstaining are performed.

Main Results:

The described procedure successfully preserves the fine structure of biological tissues.
This method enables detailed ultrastructural study using electron microscopy.
Consistent and high-quality images for cellular and tissue analysis are achieved.

Conclusions:

The outlined protocol is a robust and widely used method for electron microscopy sample preparation.
This technique is essential for defining the minute details of cells and tissues.
The procedure ensures structural integrity for advanced ultrastructural investigations.