What is the first step of tissue processing and what is its purpose?

Study for the CAMLPR Histology Practice Test. Study with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each question has hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

Preserving tissue structure right from the start is crucial in tissue processing. The first step is fixation, which uses chemicals to cross-link proteins and stabilize cellular components. This halts enzymatic decay and autolysis, locking the tissue’s morphology in place so subsequent steps can proceed without rapid degradation or distortion.

Dehydration comes after fixation. Its purpose is to remove water from the tissue in a graded series of alcohols, preparing the specimen for clearing and resin or wax embedding. Without fixation, dehydration alone wouldn’t prevent decay or preserve architecture, so it wouldn’t be appropriate to start the processing sequence.

After dehydration, clearing is performed to remove alcohol and make the tissue miscible with the embedding medium, and then infiltration with wax follows to provide support for thin slicing.