Printer friendly page

Histology

Histotechnologists work in laboratories that look at tissues and organs with a light microscope. We do the preparatory work necessary so that the material can be examined by Pathologists.

The most common use is in health care, where it helps a pathologist determine whether a patient has cancer. A related specialty does similar preparatory work for examination of materials by the electron microscope.

The process used involves:

• Record keeping to ensure there are no errors in identification.
  
• Chemical preservation of the material to be examined.
  
• Hardening and supporting the material with media, such as paraffin wax or plastic.
  
• Cutting a very thin slice so that enough light can pass through to make individual components visible.
  
• Staining components in contrasting colours to increase visibility and make examination easier.
  
• Storing the finished product for future reference.