Before staining with an aqueous dye like Hematoxylin, what must be done to a paraffin-embedded section on a slide?
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Correct answer: It must be deparaffinized and rehydrated
Most stains are water-based and cannot penetrate the hydrophobic paraffin wax. Sections must first be washed in xylene to remove the wax and then passed through decreasing concentrations of alcohol to introduce water back into the tissue.
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