Histology - Stains

What are the stains we focus on?

Cresyl Violet

Glemsa-Wright stain

Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)

Masson’s trichome

Silver stain

Sudan red

What does Cresyl Violet target? What color does it stain?

Stains bacteria

• Neuronal Nissl bodies (clumps of rough ER) → purple

What is a Giemsa-Wright stain?

Stains blood and bone marrow smears

• Cytoplasm → light blue

• Cytoplasmic granules → pink, purple, or unstained

• Hemoglobin → pink

• Nuclei → dark purple

What is the Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stain? What colors show up, and what are they?

most common stain, stains acidic structures purple and basic structures pink

1. Eosin — acid

• stains alkaline

2. Hematoxylin = basic

• stains acid

What is Acidophilic/Eosinophilic? What color does it result in?

Acidophilic/Eosinophilic — stains base

• stained structures are basic

• Comes out pink

Examples of Acidophilic/Eosinophilic tissues

• muscle

• collagens

• bone

• cytoplasm

What is Basophilic?

• looks blue/purple in H&E

• binds acidic tissue → basophilic

• include DNA, RNA, nucleus

What does Masson’s trichome stain? What color does it stain?

Stains

• Basophilic structures → dark blue

• collagen → green/light blue

• Cytoplasm, keratin, muscle, and erythrocytes/Red Blood Cells (RBC) → red

What does Silver stain target? What color does it stain?

Stains delicate structures

• ex: reticular fibers and neuronal processes

• stains green and black

What does Sudan red stain? What color does it stain?

Stains fat calls (adipocytes) red