MEDICAL AND BIOLOGICAL STAINING TECHNIQUES 



Technique: 



1. Embed the material in paraffin wax in the usual manner. 



2. Remove paraffin wax from the sections with xylol as usual. 



3. Wash well with absolute alcohol. 



4. Wash with 90% alcohol. 



5. Stain for five to ten minutes with solution A. 



6. Wash with absolute alcohol to remove excess stain. 



7. Counterstain for two to five minutes in solution B. 



8. Wash in absolute alcohol. 



9. Clear in xylol, and mount. 



Results: 



Host tissues are stained green ; parasite, red. 



METHYL GREEN - PHLOXIN - GLYCERINE JELLY 



A rapid method for the simultaneous mounting and double 

 staining of pollen grains, differentiating functional from 



abortive grains 



This technique can be employed for the evaluation of orchid 

 seeds which contain naked embryo surrounded by integuments. 



Solutions required: 



A. Methyl Green, saturated in 50% alcohol. 



B. Phloxin, saturated in 50% alcohol. 



C. Glycerine jelly . . . . . . 50 ml. 



Solution A . . . . . . . . 2J ml. 



Solution B . . . . . . . . 2 ml. 



Melt glycerine jelly on a water bath ; then measure off in a pre- 

 heated measuring cylinder the 50 ml. required and pour this 

 amount into a pre-heated bottle to which, solutions A and B are 

 then added and shaken in. 



Note: The jelly should now be a port wine colour: it may he 

 necessary to vary the proportions by adding more of one of the dyes 

 to produce this colour. 



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