Dehydration

Dehydration occurs by placing it in ascending or descending grades of alcohol

Ascending

Initial concentration of alcohol for routine tissues

70%

Initial concentration of alcohol for Delicate tissues

30%

Minimum amount of dehydrating agent to the volume of the tissue

10x

Dehydrating agent associated with:

• routine

• BEST dehydrating agent

Ethanol

Dehydrating agent associated with:

• primarily used for blood and tissue films, and for smear prep

Methanol

Dehydrating agent associated with:

• plant and animal microtechniques

Butanol

Dehydrating agent associated with:

• excellent substitute for ethanol

Isopropanol

Best clearing agent for microwave technique

Isopropanol

This reagent insures complete dehydration

Anhydrous copper sulfate

2 methods for dioxane dehydration

1. Graupner’s

2. Weiseberger’s

Dioxane dehydration that uses pure dioxane and paraffin

Graupner’s

Dioxane dehydration where tissue is wrapped in gauze and suspended in a bottle containing dioxane and anhydrous calcium oxide/quicklime

Weiseberger’s

Cellosolve is AKA

Ethylene glycol monoethyl ether

Dehydrating agent associated with:

• tissues can be stored for long periods of time without distortion

• Combustible

Cellosolve

Dehydrating agent associated with:

• offensive odor

Tetrahydrofuran

Universal dehydrating solvents

TTD

• Tetrahydrofuran

• Tertiary butanol

• Dioxane