CHAPTER 12 



Making Sections 



NATURE OF THE PROCESS 



A section is a thin slice cut from biological materials with a view to 

 studying either the cells themselves or their arrangement, neither of 

 which can be made out from a wholemount. 



Though sections may be cut at any angle, they are usually taken 

 through any one of three planes (see Fig. 87), which are known as 

 "transverse," "sagittal," and "frontal" planes. The purpose of this orienta- 

 tion of the material is a better realization of the structure of the whole 

 from an examination of the section. Theoretically, to produce a section, 





iHli! If i 1 s 



Fig. 87. Standard section planes. 



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