Lipids: Properties and Demonstration

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Questions and Answers

What is the characteristic of lipids in terms of solubility?

  • Soluble in water but not in organic solvents
  • Soluble in both water and organic solvents
  • Insoluble in both water and organic solvents
  • Soluble in organic solvents but not in water (correct)

What is the primary function of lipids in adipose tissues?

  • Energy reserve (correct)
  • Structural component of cells
  • Protein synthesis
  • Hormone regulation

What is the purpose of using calcium in Baker's formal calcium fixation?

  • To preserve the structure of carbohydrates
  • To remove proteins from the tissue
  • To make lipids more soluble
  • To make lipids less soluble (correct)

What is the principle of Oil Red O staining?

<p>Based on the greater solubility of the dye in lipid substances (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the common problem in lipid staining due to insufficient fixing or drying of tissue sections?

<p>Section float off during staining (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the result of Sudan Black staining on lipid substances?

<p>Lipid substances appear blue/black (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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Study Notes

Characteristics of Lipids

  • Lipids are soluble in organic solvents but not in water.
  • They are found in adipose tissues as an energy reserve.
  • Lipids are rarely present in a pure state (triglycerides).
  • They are usually found in combination with carbohydrates or proteins, forming glycolipids or lipoproteins/proteolipids.

Staining Methods for Lipids

  • Oil Red O:
    • Principle: Based on the greater solubility of the dye in lipid substances than in hydroalcoholic solvents.
    • Results: Lipids (triglycerides, cholesterol esters) stain red, nuclei stain blue (with alum hematoxylin).
  • Sudan Black:
    • Principle: Sudan Black B is a dye that is insoluble in water but dissolves in fat.
    • Results: Lipids (triglycerides, cholesterol esters) stain blue/black, nuclei stain red (with nuclear fast red).

Fixation for Lipid Demonstration

  • Unfixed cryostat sections or Baker's formal calcium can be used.
  • Baker's formal calcium: 10% formalin with 1.1g CaCl per 100ml, which reacts with lipids to form soaps, making them less soluble.

Common Problems in Lipid Staining

  • Patchy or no staining: Incomplete removal of paraffin wax.
  • Section float off during staining: Insufficient fixing/drying of tissue section on the glass slide.
  • Sections appear cloudy: Insufficient dehydration or clearing.

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