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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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 22, 2025

A Technical Perspective in Modern Tree-ring Research - How to Overcome Dendroecological and Wood Anatomical Challenges

A Technical Perspective in Modern Tree-ring Research - How to Overcome Dendroecological and Wood Anatomical Challenges

Published on: March 5, 2015

A protocol for high-quality sectioning for tree-ring anatomy.

Marina V Fonti^1,2, Georg von Arx^1,2, Maryline Harroue³

¹Forest Dynamics, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland.

Frontiers in Plant Science

|March 17, 2025

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This study presents a detailed protocol for creating high-quality wood thin sections for quantitative wood anatomy (QWA) from tree rings. This standardized method ensures consistent data for climate reconstructions and ecological studies.

Keywords:

dendroanatomy dendrochronology embedding quantitative wood anatomy (QWA)subfossil wood tree-ring anatomy wood thin sectioning xylem

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Area of Science:

Plant Sciences
Ecology
Wood Anatomy

Background:

Quantitative wood anatomy (QWA) is crucial for ecological and climate studies using tree rings.
A lack of standardized protocols hinders efficient, high-quality section production, especially for brittle subfossil wood.

Purpose of the Study:

To provide a comprehensive, step-by-step protocol for producing wood thin sections for QWA.
To ensure consistent, high-quality anatomical sections and digital images for long tree-ring chronologies, particularly for conifers.

Main Methods:

Detailed protocol covering sample preparation, sectioning, and digital imaging.
Emphasis on techniques suitable for both fresh and brittle subfossil conifer wood.

Main Results:

A reproducible protocol for generating high-quality wood thin sections for QWA.
Facilitation of consistent data collection for long-term climate reconstructions.

Conclusions:

The protocol addresses a critical need for standardization in QWA.
Aims to enhance reproducibility, accuracy, and reliability in wood anatomical research.