Tissues are blocked with the surface to be cut facing down in a mold.

Microchatter around edges of tissue on small biopsy specimen can be prevented by decreasing exposure time to dehydrating agents.

The use of chloroform prevents inadvertent dessication of tissues.

Xylene turns cloudy when tissues are inadequately dehydrated.

Cutting fatty sections thinly may prevent them from becoming mushy at the center during clearing.

An acute clearance angle during sectioning ensures cutting good tissue ribbons.

Striations in the paraffin sections may be due to tissue fragments on the cutting edge of the blade.

Chromophores are composed of an acid & a base (salt- forming properties) to become a dye.

Underexposure to acidic fixatives (picrates, formic acid) will destroy the basophilic staining properties of tissues.