Xylene in histology use

In the field of histology, xylene is a commonly used chemical reagent, which is widely used in the processing of tissue sections. As an organic solvent, xylene can effectively remove water from tissue samples and help enhance the transparency of slices, thereby improving the effect of observation under the microscope. This article will detail the use of xylene in histology and its importance in histological experiments.

What is xylene?

Xylene is a kind of organic solvent composed of two methyl substituted benzene molecules, which has strong solubility and volatility. Common types of xylene are o-xylene, m-xylene and p-xylene isomers, they are more similar in chemical properties. Xylene is usually colorless, with aromatic odor, widely used in chemical industry, medicine, paint and laboratory research and other fields.

In histology, the main role of xylene is to act as a dehydration and transparency agent, helping the tissue sample preparation process to proceed smoothly.

Xylene in histology use

1. Dehydration

The first step in making a histological section is to remove water from the tissue sample for better fixation and staining. As a non-polar solvent, xylene can effectively interact with the water in the tissue to help remove the water and maintain the structural integrity of the tissue. In this process, xylene gradually replaces the water and gradually removes the water content in the sample, so that the tissue can smoothly enter the next step-soaking in the transparent agent.

2. Transparency

A tissue sample typically remains cloudy after a series of dehydration steps. Xylene can effectively penetrate into the intercellular space of the tissue, and can interact with the fat, protein and other components in the tissue sample, which greatly improves the transparency of the tissue. The transparent sample is not only easy to observe, but also improves the image quality under the microscope, helping researchers to observe the details of the tissue more clearly.

3. Help soak fixatives and stains

Xylene also acts as a solvent as a stain and fixative in histological experiments. It can help to penetrate certain fixatives or stains into the tissue, thereby ensuring the uniformity and effectiveness of the staining process. In the staining step of histological sections, xylene is usually used as one of the solvents to dilute the dye and soak the tissue to promote the dye to penetrate into the tissue structure and improve the visualization effect of cells or tissues.

Xylene in histological applications advantage

1. The effect is remarkable, the operation is simple

Xylene has a good effect in dehydration, transparency, fixation and dyeing process. Due to its high volatility, it is relatively simple to operate and can be handled quickly and effectively. This makes xylene one of the preferred solvents for tissue section processing in the laboratory.

2. Not easy with tissue water-soluble components reaction

Compared with other solvents, xylene does not react with water-soluble components in tissue samples, so it can better maintain the original structure of tissue samples. This is particularly important for histological studies, because the morphological structure of the tissue has a direct impact on the results of the study.

Precautions and Safety

Although xylene is widely used in histology, it is still a toxic chemical agent, and long-term exposure may cause harm to the human body. Therefore, when using xylene, laboratory safety procedures must be strictly observed. Wear protective gloves, glasses and masks to ensure good ventilation and avoid inhalation of xylene vapor or skin contact.

Conclusion

Xylene is widely used in histology, especially in the process of dehydration, transparency and staining of tissue sections. Understanding the use of xylene and safe operation specifications is of great significance to ensure the safety of experimental results and laboratory personnel. In the daily experimental operation, the rational use of xylene will help to improve the efficiency and accuracy of histological research.