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The influence of the embedding medium when staining for electron microscopy: the penetration of stains into plastic sections
Author(s) -
Horobin Richard W.,
Tomlinson Annette
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
journal of microscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.569
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2818
pISSN - 0022-2720
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2818.1976.tb01080.x
Subject(s) - phosphotungstic acid , uranyl acetate , staining , penetration (warfare) , electron microscope , chemistry , differential staining , polar , materials science , biophysics , pathology , biology , optics , biochemistry , mathematics , physics , medicine , operations research , astronomy , catalysis
SUMMARY Using a sectioned‐section procedure it was found that only a few structures, e.g. the connective tissue elements, were deeply penetrated by phosphotungstic acid (PTA) and uranyl acetate (UA). Reynold's lead citrate appeared to penetrate more generally. Using stains selective for the embedding medium, and also observing the surfaces of shadowed sections, it was concluded that structures readily penetrated by polar stains were only poorly infiltrated by non‐polar embedding media. It is argued that this differential infiltration leading to differential penetration by polar stains largely controls the pattern of staining of ultrathin sections by PTA and UA.