Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 2K views

    Clearing Agents

    Uploaded by

    AudreySlit
    Xylene is the most commonly used clearing agent due to its rapid clearing time of 1/2-1 hour and ability to make tissues transparent. However, it is highly flammable and can harden tissues if left for over 3 hours. Toluene and benzene are faster than xylene but are also highly flammable and toxic. Chloroform causes less brittleness than other agents but has a slower clearing time of 6-24 hours and its vapors are toxic upon prolonged exposure. Cedarwood oil is very slow at clearing over 2-3 days but causes minimal shrinkage and hardening.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Clearing Agents

    Uploaded by

    AudreySlit
    2K views2 pages
    Xylene is the most commonly used clearing agent due to its rapid clearing time of 1/2-1 hour and ability to make tissues transparent. However, it is highly flammable and can harden tissues if left for over 3 hours. Toluene and benzene are faster than xylene but are also highly flammable and toxic. Chloroform causes less brittleness than other agents but has a slower clearing time of 6-24 hours and its vapors are toxic upon prolonged exposure. Cedarwood oil is very slow at clearing over 2-3 days but causes minimal shrinkage and hardening.

    Original Description:

    table

    Original Title

    clearing agents

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Xylene is the most commonly used clearing agent due to its rapid clearing time of 1/2-1 hour and ability to make tissues transparent. However, it is highly flammable and can harden tissues if left for over 3 hours. Toluene and benzene are faster than xylene but are also highly flammable and toxic. Chloroform causes less brittleness than other agents but has a slower clearing time of 6-24 hours and its vapors are toxic upon prolonged exposure. Cedarwood oil is very slow at clearing over 2-3 days but causes minimal shrinkage and hardening.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    2K views2 pages

    Clearing Agents

    Uploaded by

    AudreySlit
    Xylene is the most commonly used clearing agent due to its rapid clearing time of 1/2-1 hour and ability to make tissues transparent. However, it is highly flammable and can harden tissues if left for over 3 hours. Toluene and benzene are faster than xylene but are also highly flammable and toxic. Chloroform causes less brittleness than other agents but has a slower clearing time of 6-24 hours and its vapors are toxic upon prolonged exposure. Cedarwood oil is very slow at clearing over 2-3 days but causes minimal shrinkage and hardening.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 2

    Clearing Agent Advantages Disadvantages Clearing Time

    XYLENE (xylol)

    -Colorless - most rapid clearing - for urgent biopsies - highly flammable 1/2-1 hour
    - Most commonly used (15-30 mins) - Makes tissue excessively hard of
    Used for clearing, both mounting - Makes tissue transparent used over 3 hrs
    and embedding procedures - Miscible w abs alcohol and paraffin - Not suitable for nervous tissues and
    - Generally suitable for routine - Doesn't extract out aniline dyes lymph nodes - causes considerable
    histologic processing schedules of - For mounting procedures - doesn't hardening and shrinkage
    <24 hours and when tissue block is dissolve celloidin
    <5mm in thickness - During embedding and impregnation -
    evaporates quickly in paraffin oven - can
    be readily replaced by wax
    - Cheap

    TOLUENE

    - may be used as substitute for 1. Miscible w both absolute alcohol 1. Slower than xylene and 1-2 hours
    xylene or benzene for clearing and paraffin benzene
    both during embedding and 2. Acts fairly rapidly - recommended 2. Acidified in a partially filled
    mounting processes for routine purposes vessel
    3. Doesn't make tissues excessively 3. Highly conc solns will emit
    hard and brittle if left for 24 hours fumes that are toxic upon
    prolonged exposure
    4. More expensive
    BENZENE

    - Preferred by some in the 1. Rapid acting - for urgent biopsies 1. Highly flammable
    embedding process because it (15-60 mins) and routine purposes 2. Causes considerable tissue
    penetrates and clears tissues 2. Volatilizza rapidly in paraffin oven - shrinkage if left in benzene for a
    rapidly easily eliminated from the tissue long time
    3. Doesn't make tissues hard and 3. Excessive exposure may
    brittle extremely be toxic to man - may
    4. Causes minimum shrinkage damage bone marrow (aplastic
    5. Makes tissues transparent anemia)

    CHLOROFORM

    - when used for clearing in 1. For routine processing (6-24 hrs) 1. Toxic to the liver after
    embeds process, slower than 2. Miscible w abs alcohol prolonged inhalation
    xylene 3. Causes min shrinkage - for tough 2. Wax impregnation after
    - Causes less brittleness tissues (e.g skin, fibroid, decalcified chloroform clearing relatively
    - Can be used for thicker tissue tissues) for nervous tissues, lymph slow
    blocks (up to 1 cm) nodes and embryos 3. Doesn't make tissues
    - Tissues don't be on translucent 4. For large tissue specimens transparent
    5. Not flammable 4. Not very volatile in paraffin
    oven
    5. Vapor may attack rubber seal
    used in vacuum impregnating
    bath
    6. Complete clearing is difficult to
    evaluate
    7. Tissues tend to float in
    chloroform
    8. Evaporates quickly from a
    water bath
    Clearing Agent Advantages Disadvantages Clearing Time
    CEDARWOOD OIL

    - used to clear both paraffin and 1. Very penetrating 1. Extremely slow - not for 2-3 days
    cellodin sections during the 2. Miscible w 96% alcohol w/c it routine purchases
    embedding process removes readily 2. Hard to be eliminated from
    - Especially recommended for 3. Clears celloidin in 5-6 days tissues in paraffin bath quality
    CNS tissues and cytological 4. Causes minimal shrinkage and not always uniform and good
    studies (smooth muscles and hardening 3. Cedarwood oil becomes milky
    skin) 5. Tissues may be left indefinitely w/o upon prolonged storage, should
    - Requires 2 changes in clearing causing considerable damage and be filtered before use
    solution distortion 4. Previously used to clear acetic
    6. Makes tissues transparent acid and alcohol fixed tissues may
    7. Improves cutting of sections be produce crystals
    5. Very expensive
    ANILINE OIL

    - Not normally utilized as a


    routine clearing agent
    - Recommended for clearing
    embryos, insects, and very
    delicate specimens - ability to
    clear 70% alcohol w/o excessive
    shrinkage and hardening
    CLOVE OIL

    - Causes min shrinkage - Expensive


    - Quality not guaranteed- - Unsuitable for routine clearing
    tendency to become purposes
    adulterated
    - Was impregnation slow and
    difficult tissues become brittle,
    aniline dyes removed, celloidin
    is dissolved

    CARBON TETRACHLORIDE

    - used in clearing tissues for - Highly toxic - dangerous to


    embedding inhale on prolonged exposure
    - Properties similar to
    chloroform
    - Produces considerable tissue
    hardening

    METHYL BENZOATE AND


    METHYL SALICYLATE

    - slow-acting clearing agents


    - Can be used when double
    embedding techniques are
    required

    You might also like