Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E)

The Hematoxylin is a basic dye that stains acidic

components of cells a blue color.

This characteristic is known as basophilia. Hematoxylin stains the nuclei of cells, and the RER of the cytoplasm.

Eosin is an acidic dye that stains the basic

components of the cells a reddish-pink color.

This characteristic is known as acidophilia. Most of the cytoplasm of cells is stained by eosin.

Bone matrix is also stained by eosin.

Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining

PAS is a widely used staining technique that stains the

neutral sugars of glycosaminoglycans a pink color.

Common components stained positively with PAS include mucus, glycogen, muco-protein, glycoprotein, the basal lamina, organ capsules, blood vessels, etc.

Orcein

Orcein staining is used to stain elastic fibers a dark

brown-purple color.

This is used, for example, to show the elastic components in the walls of arteries, or in the matrix of elastic cartilage.

Osmium tetroxide

Osmium is used to stain lipids a dark black color. It is very useful for demonstrating the myelin of myelinated nerves, or lipid droplets in the liver or steroid-secreting cells.

Toluidine blue

Toluidine blue is a so-called metachromatic stain.

It is a blue stain that stains specific components of tissues a purple color.

This change in staining color known as metachromasia.

Metachromasia is seen in the matrix of hyaline cartilage, or in the granules of mast cells.

Impregnation

Impregnation is a staining technique in which blocks of tissue are processed in solutions

containing metals such as silver or gold, which attach to specific components in tissues.

The silver or gold are then further processed (reduced) and develop into dark metallic deposits.

The stained blocks are then sectioned. Silver impregnation is widely used to stain neurons and to demonstrate reticular fibers.

Vital staining

Vital staining refers to the uptake of dyes by cells. If we inject Trypan blue into experimental animals, the dye is rapidly engulfed by specific macrophages.

We can use such vital staining to demonstrate the

Kupffer cells of the liver.

Giemsa stain

There are a variety of "Romanowsky-type" stains with mixtures of methylene blue, azure, and eosin compounds.

Among these are the Giemsa stain and the Wright's stain (or Wright-Giemsa stain).

The latter is utilized to stain peripheral blood smears.

Connective tissue stains

The trichrome stain helps to identify the supporting

collagenous stroma in sections from a variety of organs.

Trichrome helps in identifying normal structures, such

as connective tissue capsules of organs, the lamina

propria of gastrointestinal tract, and the bronchovascular structures in lung.

Malory stain

Masson`s trichrome

Examples of trichrome stain:

Malory

stain: stains collagen blue trichrome: stains collagen

Masson`s

green