Preparation and flattening of thick epoxy sections for light microscopy

Abstract

A technique is described which allows 4- to 10-μm-thick plastic sections to be routinely flattened for light microscope observation. Samples are fixed in Karnovsky's fluid, embedded in Spurr's resins, and cut with a steel knife on a rotary microtome. Sections are flattened by passage through xylene, ethanol, and a detergent solution, then dried on slides, and mounted in immersion oil and hexane. Sections may either be stained before mounting or examined unstained.