Explanation:
Mast cells turn blue during metachromatic staining when the pH of toluidine blue decreases. Metachromatic staining relies on the differential affinity of dyes for specific cellular components. Decreasing the pH of toluidine blue enhances its affinity for mast cell granules, causing them to turn blue.
Explanation:
Tissue specimens for frozen section analysis are typically sent to the histology department. Frozen section analysis involves the rapid processing of tissue specimens for immediate examination by a pathologist, often during surgery, to guide surgical decision-making. Histology technicians prepare frozen sections for examination using specialized techniques, making histology the appropriate department for handling such specimens.
Explanation:
The Jones Methenamine silver technique is used to visualize basement membranes in tissue sections. Omitting the 1% periodic acid solution in this technique prevents oxidation of the methenamine silver, resulting in a failure to stain the basement membrane.
Explanation:
Eosin is an acidic dye, and its pH affects the staining quality. If tissue sections show pale cytoplasmic staining, it indicates potential issues with eosin staining. Checking the pH of eosin and adjusting it with acetic acid if necessary can help restore optimal staining conditions, leading to improved cytoplasmic staining in histological specimens.
Explanation:
When faced with an insufficient sample volume for requested tests, it's prudent to communicate with the clinician to determine the most critical cultures based on the patient's clinical presentation and suspected diagnosis. This ensures that limited resources are directed toward the most relevant tests, optimizing patient care.
Explanation:
In the Weigert's hematoxylin staining method, ferric chloride serves as the mordant and oxidant. It helps intensify the staining of nuclei with hematoxylin and promotes the formation of a complex that binds to cellular structures.
Explanation:
In a Gram stain procedure, the decolourizer is applied after the primary stain (crystal violet) and prior to the counterstain (safranin). Its purpose is to remove the primary stain from gram-negative bacteria while allowing the retention of the stain by gram-positive bacteria.
Explanation:
When prioritizing the processing of microbiology specimens, it is essential to consider factors such as urgency and specimen stability. CSF and blood cultures are typically considered urgent specimens due to their clinical significance, followed by urine and swabs in transport media. This order ensures the timely processing of critical specimens while maintaining the integrity of the samples.
Explanation:
In histotechnology, the quality of staining is crucial for accurate tissue examination. Checking the pH of eosin is important because an incorrect pH level can affect the staining process and result in inadequate differentiation of tissue components, such as lacking distinct shades of pink in the eosin stain. Adjusting the pH can help ensure proper staining and interpretation of tissue samples.
Explanation:
Antibiotic use can affect the cell wall of bacteria, leading to altered staining characteristics. In the case of cocci in chains appearing pink on a Gram stain, it suggests that the bacteria may have lost their ability to retain the crystal violet dye due to antibiotic-induced changes in cell wall structure.
Explanation:
Maintaining formalin at a neutral pH helps prevent the formation of dark brown pigment on tissue sections during fixation. Acidic formalin can lead to excessive pigment formation, affecting the quality of staining and tissue interpretation. Therefore, ensuring the formalin solution remains at a neutral pH is essential for optimal tissue preservation and staining in histotechnology.
