Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-g8jcs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T10:17:05.612Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Penetration Rates of Formaldehyde

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 March 2018

Bryan R. Hewlett*
Affiliation:
McMaster University Medical Centre (Retired)

Extract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Formaldehyde is one of the most rapidly penetrating fixatives used. Unfortunately, it is one of the slowest to fix tissue. This paradox was finally explained by Burnett in 1982. An fine description of the properties of formaldehyde may be found in John Kiernan's book.

The penetration rate of formaldehyde in mm/hr is a variable thing. It depends on how the data is obtained. It may also vary slightly depending on tissue type. The penetration rate of formaldehyde fixatives has been extensively studied, often with conflicting results. The penetration of non-coagulating fixatives is difficult to measure.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Microscopy Society of America 2002

References

1) Burnett, MG., J Chem. educ. 1982; 59, 160 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2) Kiernan, J.A., Histological and Histochemicat Methods: Theory and Practice, 3rd Edition. 1999, Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN #0-7506-3106-6.Google Scholar
3) Medawar, PB., J R Micmsc Soc. 1941; 61, 46 Google Scholar
4) Baker, JR. (1958). Principles of Biological Microtechnique, Methuen & Co. Ltd, pp 3740.Google Scholar
5) Tellyesnicsky, K., (1926). Article on ‘Fixation’ in R. Krause's Enzyklopädie der mikroskopischen Technik, vol.2. Berlin (Urban & Schwarzenberg),Google Scholar
6) Fox, CH., et al., J Histochem. Cytocham. 1985; 33, 845853 Google Scholar
7) Helander, KG., Biotechnique and Hrstochemistry. 1994; 69, 177179 Google Scholar
8) Helander, K.G., The Journal of Histotechnology. 1999; 22(4), 317318.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9) Werner, M., et.al.: Am J Surg Pathol. 2000; 24(7), 10161019 Google Scholar