SECTION FOUR 



BASIC FUCHSIN - PICRO INDIGOCARMINE (Alcoholic) 

 For plant tissues, as a cytological stain for root tips 



Solutions required: 



A. Basic fuchsin i% in 70% alcohol. 



B. Indigocarmine . . . . . . 0-6 gm. 



Distilled water . . . . . • 50 ml. 



Picric acid, saturated aqueous 50 ml. 



Technique: 



1. Sections are brought down to distilled water; then stained 

 from ten to twenty minutes in the basic fuchsin solution. 



2. Rinse in distilled water until the stain ceases to come out. 



3. Stain from five to fifteen minutes in Solution B. 



4. Rinse quickly in 70% alcohol until the sections appear red to 

 the naked eye. 



5. Rinse rapidly in 95% alcohol, followed by absolute alcohol 

 until the preparation appears green to the naked eye. 



6. Clear in xylol; then mount. 



Results: 



Chromosomes and late prophase stages, varying shades of red ; 

 early prophases, bluish red; nucleoli, clear blue; spindle fibres 

 and cell walls, dark blue; cytoplasm, light blue. 



BASIC FUCHSIN - PICRO INDIGOCARMINE (Aqueous) 

 For chromosomes in plant tissues 



Solutions required: 



A. Basic fuchsin 1% aqueous. 



B. Picro indigocarmine. 



Technique: 



1. Material is fixed in Nevashin or Regaud. 



2. Wash in running water; dehydrate, clear and embed in 

 paraffin wax in the usual manner. 



3. Fix sections to slides and remove paraffin wax with xylol. 

 X 295 



