Zellschnitten

Zellschnitten, or cell sections, are thin slices of biological material prepared for microscopic analysis. They are typically obtained from fixed tissues or cultured cells and mounted on glass slides for staining and examination. The term is commonly used in histology and pathology to describe the prepared specimens that reveal cellular and tissue structure under a light or electron microscope.

Preparation generally involves fixation to preserve morphology, followed by dehydration, clearing, and embedding in a medium such as paraffin or resin. Sections are then cut with a microtome (for paraffin or resin) or a cryostat (for frozen sections) to the desired thickness, usually a few micrometers for light microscopy. The sections are mounted on slides, may be deparaffinized if needed, and stained. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) is the standard stain for general morphology, while specialized stains and immunohistochemical methods can highlight specific cell types or molecules. In some cases, resin-embedded sections are prepared for high-resolution ultrastructural study by electron microscopy, requiring ultrathin cuts.

Applications of Zellschnitten include diagnostic pathology, where tissue sections aid in identifying disease and assessing margins or staging, and biomedical research, where tissue architecture, development, and cellular interactions are studied. They also underpin educational histology, providing visual references of normal and abnormal tissue. Variants exist, such as frozen sections for rapid intraoperative assessment or cryosections for preserving certain antigens. Quality control focuses on thickness uniformity, proper fixation, and minimizing artifacts like folds or tears, which can affect interpretation.