HT Study Guide 2026

Real-time or near-real-time documentation in Quality Control & Assurance ensures accuracy, provides a contemporaneous record, and is considered the gold standard for professional accountability and legal defensibility.

Lymphoma workup requires fresh tissue for flow cytometry, cytogenetics, and molecular studies, so a portion must be submitted fresh before any fixation.

Effective risk management in Microtomy & Sectioning Techniques requires proactive hazard identification and preventive measures, not just reactive responses. This approach reduces incidents, improves outcomes, and protects both professionals and clients.

Hollande's fixative is a modified Bouin's solution that substitutes copper acetate for some picric acid, offering similar preservation properties.

Clearing is the step after dehydration where alcohol is replaced by a clearing agent, such as xylene. The primary purpose of clearing is to make the tissue transparent, which is necessary because the refractive index of the clearing agent is similar to that of the embedding medium. This transparency allows for better visualization during embedding and ensures complete infiltration of the wax into the tissue.

A negative control (using a non-immune serum or omitting the primary antibody) confirms that any staining seen in test sections is specific, not background artifact.