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

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.

[1]  M. Karnovsky,et al.  A formaldehyde-glutaraldehyde fixative of high osmolality for use in electron-microscopy , 1965 .

[2]  James H. Martin,et al.  Formalin fixation for electron microscopy: a re-evaluation. , 1973, American journal of clinical pathology.

[3]  R. Horne.  Principles and techniques of electron microscopy , 1990 .

[4]  Pierre Monsan,et al.  Étude du mécanisme d'établissement des liaisons glutaraldéhyde-protéines , 1976 .

[5]  H. Kolb,et al.  Localization of GABA, glycine, glutamate and tyrosine hydroxylase in the human retina , 1992, The Journal of comparative neurology.

[6]  K. Gustavson.  The Chemistry of Tanning Processes , 1956 .

[7]  Rich Kc.  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 electronmicrscopy. , 1960 .

[8]  K. C. Richardson.  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 electronmicrscopy. , 1960, Journal of anatomy.

[9]  Chris Hawes,et al.  Plant Microtechnique and Microscopy , 2000 .

[10]  J. Baker.  Principles of biological microtechnique; a study of fixation and dyeing , 2011 .

[11]  K. Helander,et al.  Kinetic studies of formaldehyde binding in tissue. , 1994, Biotechnic & histochemistry : official publication of the Biological Stain Commission.

[12]  A. Pearse.  Histochemistry: Theoretical and Applied , 1953 .

[13]  R. Horobin,et al.  The influence of the embedding medium when staining for electron microscopy: the penetration of stains into plastic sections , 1976, Journal of microscopy.

[14]  Russell J. Barrnett,et al.  Cytochemistry and electron microscopy. The preservation of cellular ultrastructure and enzymatic activity by aldehyde fixation. , 1963 .

[15]  R. Drury.  Cellular Pathology Technique , 1986 .

[16]  M. Hayat,et al.  Principles and Techniques of Electron Microscopy: Biological Applications , 1973 .

[17]  F. Conti,et al.  Characterization of antisera to glutamate and aspartate. , 1988, The journal of histochemistry and cytochemistry : official journal of the Histochemistry Society.

[18]  John A. Kiernan,et al.  Histological and Histochemical Methods: Theory and Practice , 1981 .

[19]  P. Somogyi,et al.  Antisera to gamma-aminobutyric acid. I. Production and characterization using a new model system. , 1985, The journal of histochemistry and cytochemistry : official journal of the Histochemistry Society.

[20]  M. Farooqui.  Formaldehyde , 1898, Reactions Weekly.