The freezing point of water is 0 degrees C. The freezing point of 100%
ethanol is -114 degrees C. The freezing point of 70% alcohol is about -48
degrees C. Since most cryostats are at -20 to -25 degrees C, your tissue
isn't freezing completely. You probably have "slush" ice inside the cells.
Not hard enough to support the tissue during a frozen section.
Fresh tissue would be the best, as formalin fixed tissue also tends to cut
awful (whole different reason). If you can't get fresh tissue from human or
animal necropsy, can you get some "parts" from a raw uncooked chicken to
practice on? Save some muscle, skin, liver, etc., from tonight's supper?
Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS
Beaumont Hospital
Royal Oak, MI 48073
--------------------------------------------------
From: "louise renton" <louise.ren...@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, November 08, 2010 4:43 AM
To: "Histonet" <Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
Subject: [Histonet] Frozen section ...HELP
Hi all,
after more than a decade of NOT cutting frozen sections, I find myself
back at the ice-face.
To get my hand in (not literally) I thought I would do some trial
sections on stored tissue - stuff that was in formalin and now in 70%
alcohol.
Horror ; dismay. The tissue, once frozen, is all mushy in the middle.
Is this because of teh long storage?
is there anything I can do to improve the situation?
much appreciated
--
Louise Renton
Bone Research Unit
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg
South Africa
+27 11 717 2298 (tel & fax)
073 5574456 (emergencies only)
"There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls".
George Carlin
No trees were killed in the sending of this message.
However, many electrons were terribly inconvenienced.
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