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Microtomy · Pathology

A technician notices that the paraffin ribbon is curving to one side. What is the most likely cause?

  1. The paraffin block is maintained at too cold a temperature
  2. The microtome knife has become blunt with repeated use
  3. The block's upper and lower edges are not parallel
  4. The clearance angle of the knife is set too high
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Correct answer: The block's upper and lower edges are not parallel

For a ribbon to be straight, the horizontal edges (top and bottom) of the paraffin block must be parallel to each other and to the knife edge. Non-parallel edges cause one side of the ribbon to move faster than the other, resulting in a curve.

Difficulty: Medium Question 13 of 20

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