What are histological artefacts?

What are histological artefacts?

An artifact is defined as any structure or feature in the histological section, which is not normally present in the normal tissue, and it may come from outside sources. Some artifact are easily distinguished and some are not .when it is present it may confuse with normal tissue or any pathological changes.

What are the most common Microtomy artifacts found?

Microtomy Artifacts: Causes and Corrections

  • Tissues: Intestine, liver, lymph node, bloody tissue, spleen, and brain.
  • Causes: Over-dehydrated tissue, dull knife, clearance angle too wide, cutting too rapidly, or vibration in microtome parts.

What is Microtomy process?

Microtomy is the technique of cutting tissues in very small sections. This technique is used for histological and pathological studies. A tissue (or small part of it) is embedded in paraffin wax and then cut using a microtome (a machine) to get thin sections.

What is fixation artefact?

Fixation artefacts are consequently changes brought about in the tissue as a result of human activity, i.e. putting some tissue in a fixative. From that definition, fixation itself could be considered to be an artefact, as it is a change brought about by human activity, and sometimes that comment is made.

Which is correct artefact or artifact?

Artefact is the original British English spelling. Artifact is the American English spelling. Interestingly, unlike most American spellings, artifact is the accepted form in some British publications.

What are artefact pigments?

Artefact pigments: which usually result from the tissue attachment step such as, for example, formalin, mercury, chromium or picrate pigments. These pigments are therefore found on the surface of the tissues and not in the cells.

What is freeze artifact?

When tissue is frozen , ice crystals are formed within the tissue. Even if the tissue is placed in formalin, ice crystal gaps or clefts will remain. This is what is referred to as “freeze artifact”.

What is the purpose of microtomy?

A microtome is used to make thin slices of tissue (usually 4 μm but can be 2–10 μm). The cut tissue is floated over a water bath, in order to eliminate wrinkles and distortion in the tissue, and picked up on a slide.

How do you do a microtomy?

Steps to Better Microtomy + Flotation + Section Drying

  1. Use High Quality Blades. High quality, sharp blades are always used for cutting.
  2. Optimize Knife Tilt Angle.
  3. Carefully Trim Blocks.
  4. Avoid Freezing Damage.
  5. Use Cold Blocks.
  6. Cut Sections Slowly.
  7. Use Clean Water.
  8. Ensure Slides are Clean.

What is ice crystal artefact?

What happens when tissue samples are frozen? When tissue is frozen , ice crystals are formed within the tissue. Even if the tissue is placed in formalin, ice crystal gaps or clefts will remain. This is what is referred to as “freeze artifact”.

What is an artefact example?

Examples include stone tools, pottery vessels, metal objects such as weapons and items of personal adornment such as buttons, jewelry and clothing. Natural objects, such as fire cracked rocks from a hearth or plant material used for food, are classified by archaeologists as ecofacts rather than as artefacts.

Which is the most common cause of microtomy artifacts?

Tissues: Intestine, liver, lymph node, bloody tissue, spleen, and brain Causes: Over-dehydrated tissue, dull knife, clearance angle too wide, cutting too rapidly, or vibration in microtome parts

What are the knife lines in a microtomy?

Knife lines: Ribbon splitting lengthwise, knife lines (shown in upper image) running along the length of sections (perpendicular to blade) Tissue: Any tissue, particularly calcified tissue and tissue with hair or bone

When do artifacts occur in histopathology of tissue?

These artifacts may occur during surgical removal, fixation, tissue processing, embedding and microtomy and staining and mounting procedures. They can even lead to complete uselessness of the tissue. It is therefore essential to identify the commonly occurring artifacts during histopathological interpretations of tissue sections.

Is the labce course microtomy artifacts no longer available?

Microtomy Artifacts: Causes and Corrections, continued. This version of the course is no longer available. Need multiple seats for your university or lab? Get a quote The page below is a sample from the LabCE course Microtomy of Paraffin-Embedded Tissue (retired 6/6/2018).