Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-m9kch Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-06T07:47:24.484Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Formaldehyde, Formalin, Paraformaldehyde And Glutaraldehyde: What They Are And What They Do

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 March 2018

John A. Kiernan
John A. Kiernan*
Affiliation:
Dept. of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Univ. of Western Ontario
*
jkiernan@julian.uwo.ca

Extract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Aldehydes are the most commonly used fixatives. They serve to stabilize the fine structural details of cells and tissues prior to examination by light or electron microscopy. Research workers, technicians, pathologists and others who regularly use aldehyde fixatives frequently do not appreciate the nature and properties of these compounds or the reasons for choosing to fix a specimen in formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde or a mixture of the two. Misconceptions are widespread also about formalin and paraformaldehyde, the commercial products from which formaldehyde-containing solutions are made.

Type
Research Article
Information
Microscopy Today , Volume 8 , Issue 1 , January 2000 , pp. 8 - 13
Copyright
Copyright © Microscopy Society of America 2000

References

Baker, J.R. (1958). Principles of Biological Microtechnique (Reprinted 1970, with corrections). London: Methuen.Google Scholar
Carson, F.L., Martin, J.H. & Lynn, J.A. (1973). Formalin fixation for electron microscopy: a re-evaluation. American Journal of Clinical Pathology 59:365-373.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Crooks, J. & Kolb, H. (1992). Localization of GABA, glycine, glutamate and tyrosine hydroxylase in the human retina. Journal of Comparative Neurotogy 315: 287-302.Google ScholarPubMed
Culling, C.F.A., Allison, R.T. & Barr, W.T. (1985). Cellular Pathology Technique, 4th ed. London: Butterworths.Google Scholar
Gustavson, K.H. (1956). The Chemistry of Tanning Processes. New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Hayat, M.A. (1981). Principles and Techniques of Electron Microscopy. Biological Applications, 2nd ed. Vol. 1. Baltimore: University Park Press.Google Scholar
Helander, K.G. (1994). Kinetic studies of formaldehyde binding in tissue. Biotechnic & Histochemistry 69: 177-179.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hepler, J.R., Toomim, C.S., McCarthy, C, Conti, F., Battaglia, G., Rustioni, A, & Petrusz, P. (1988). Characterization of antisera to glutamate and aspartate. Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry 36: 13-22.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hodgson, A.J., Penke, B., Erdei, A., Chubb, I.W. & Somogyi, P. (1985). Antisera to gamma -aminobutyric acid. I. Production and characterization using a new model system. Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry 33: 229-239.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hopwood, D. (1969). Fixatives and fixation: a review. Histochemical Jounal: 323-360.Google Scholar
Horobin, R.W. & Tomlinson, A. (1976). The influence of the embedding medium when staining sections for electron microscopy: the penetration of stains into plastic sections. Journal of Microscopy 108: 69-78.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Karnovsky, M.J. (1965). A formaldehyde-glutaraldehyde fixative of high osmolality for use in electron microscopy. Journal of Cell Biology 27:137 A-138A.Google Scholar
Kiernan, J.A. (1999). Histological and Histochemical Methods: Theory and Practice, 3rd ed. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.Google Scholar
Monsan, P., Puzo, G. & Marzarguil, H. (1975). Etude du mecanisme d'etablissement des liaisons glutaraldehyde-proteines. Biochimie 57: 1261- 1292.Google Scholar
Paljarvi, L, Garcia, J.H. & Kalimo, H. (1979). The efficiency of aldehyde fixation for electron microscopy: stabilization of rat brain tissue to withstand osmotic stress. Histochemical Journal 11: 267-276.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pearse, A.G.E. (1980). Histochemistry, Theoretical and Applied, 4th edn. Vol. 1. Preparative and Optical Technology. Edinburgh: Churchill- Livingstone.Google Scholar
Richardson, K.C. (1960). Studies on the structure of autonomic nerves in the small intestine, correlating the silver-impregnated image in light microscopy with the permanganate-fixed ultrastructure in electron microscopy. Journal of Anatomy 94: 457-472.Google Scholar
Ruzin, S.E. (1999). Plant Microtechnique and Microscopy. New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Sabatini, D.D., Bensch, K. & Barrnett, R.J. (1963). Cytochemistry and electron microscopy. The preservation of cellular ultrastructure and enzymatic activity by aldehyde fixation. Journal of Cell Biology 17:19-58. Walker, J.F. (1964). Formaldehyde, 3rd ed. New York: Reinhold.Google ScholarPubMed