Faults in Microtome Sections

Re-trim the block.

Reduce the tilt of the knife.

Sharpen the knife.

<p>Coat the horizontal edge of the block with wax of lower melting point.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Re-trim the block to ensure edges are parallel.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Clean the knife edge.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Readjust the thickness of the sections.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Cool the block on ice water until firm.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Tighten the screw.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Reduce the tilt.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The knife's bevel may be lost due to incorrect sharpening.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Re-embed in a freshly filtered wax if necessary.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>A hard spot in tissue, possibly calcium, can cause this.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Tighten the clamp set screw on the knife or block holder.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Breathe out or blow gently on the block and knife.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Sharpen the knife.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Re-embed in filtered wax.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The tilt of the knife may be insufficient.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The knife edge may be dull.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Readjust the angulation of the knife.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Tighten the adjusting and locking screws.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Warm the tissue with the fingers.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Cool the paraffin wax in ice water.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Frozen tissue crumbies come off the block holder.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Sections are compressed, each showing a smaller width than the block.

Sections of varying thicknesses are produced.

Sections adhere to the knife or other parts of the microtome machine.

The set screw securing the microtome components is not adequately tightened.

The microtome knife is improperly tilted, leading to problems.

The angled edge of the knife is worn, causing issues in sectioning.

Tissue blocks are too hard to cut effectively.

Static electricity interferes with making proper sections from blocks

Sections that are not straight and uniform, but curved or crooked.

Sections do not run parallel to the cutting knife, resulting in issues.

Paraffin wax is too hard, causing sections to fail to form properly in the cutting process.

The cutting knife is tilted at an incorrect angle, leading to defects in the final product.

Sections stick together and roll up during cutting, causing them to break on the knife's edge.

A dull knife causes uneven cuts and defects in the sections.

Paraffin that is not pure will affect the quality of the cut and resulting product.

Paraffin that is warm or soft will affect the cuts made.

The wax used to embed the tissue sample is contaminated, resulting in visible debris on the sections.

The edge of the microtome knife is contaminated, leaving scratches on the sections.

The angle of the knife is too steep, causing uneven section thickness and potentially tilting the sections.

The wax used to embed the tissue is too soft, making it difficult to obtain thin, consistent sections. This often happens due to warm room temperature.

The edge of the microtome knife is blunt, leading to uneven sections and potential tearing of the tissue.

The tissue is too dense to cut smoothly, resulting in chattering (vibration of the knife) and uneven sections.

The tissue is not frozen solid enough, causing it to crumble or chip during sectioning.

The tissue is frozen too solid, making it brittle and difficult to cut into thin sections.