Histological Artifacts · Histology

The 'hole' seen in the middle of a tissue section after it is placed on a slide is often caused by:

  1. Rough trimming of the block
  2. Vigorous stirring of the staining jars
  3. Air trapped in the paraffin block
  4. A dull microtome blade
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Correct answer: Air trapped in the paraffin block

If air is trapped beneath the tissue during the embedding process, a void is created in the paraffin block. When sectioned, this void manifests as a hole or missing area in the center of the tissue section.

Difficulty: Medium Question 19 of 20

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