Abstract
Despite the rapid expansion of molecular and genomic techniques, anatomical and structural analyses are often crucial to answer biological questions. The success of microscopical examinations of cells, tissue, and organs depends on the nature, size, and orientation of the specimen. The ability to properly support, orient, and section the specimen is therefore paramount for maximizing the information obtained by microscopic studies. This chapter presents protocols for using paraffin and polyester waxes as embedding media for light microscopy and compare their advantages and disadvantages. Specific details on fixation, dehydration, embedding, and sectioning are also provided, and suggestions to troubleshoot potential problems are presented to assist first time users. As for any other technique, although the described protocol represents a solid reference, further optimizations might be needed depending on the nature of the specimen used.
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Stasolla, C., Yeung, E. (2015). Paraffin and Polyester Waxes. In: Yeung, E., Stasolla, C., Sumner, M., Huang, B. (eds) Plant Microtechniques and Protocols. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19944-3_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19944-3_3
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