HT Tissue Processing & Embedding 2

Question 1

Which fixative is most appropriate for preserving glycogen in tissue sections?

Accepted Answer

Carnoy's fixative

Answer

Carnoy's fixative (alcohol-based) best preserves glycogen because it avoids aqueous extraction that occurs with formalin.

Question 2

What is the primary purpose of the clearing step in tissue processing?

Accepted Answer

Remove dehydrant and make tissue miscible with paraffin

Answer

Clearing removes alcohol (or other dehydrants) and renders tissue miscible with molten paraffin wax.

Question 3

A histotechnician notices tissue is crumbly and difficult to section after embedding. Which processing error is most likely?

Accepted Answer

Inadequate paraffin infiltration time

Answer

Inadequate paraffin infiltration leaves tissue improperly supported, causing it to crumble during microtomy.

Question 4

Which embedding medium is preferred for processing tissues for enzyme histochemistry?

Accepted Answer

OCT compound with cryostat sectioning

Answer

OCT compound with cryostat sectioning preserves enzyme activity by avoiding heat and chemical processing.

Question 5

When processing fatty tissue such as breast, which modification improves paraffin infiltration?

Accepted Answer

Using multiple changes of clearing agent

Answer

Fatty tissue requires multiple xylene changes to fully remove residual alcohol and fat, ensuring complete paraffin infiltration.

(HT) Histotechnician Certification Practice Test