Aldehyde Fuchsin

This histology stain can be used to stain pancreatic islet beta cell granules. This
stains elastic fibers purple/black.
Alician Blue
This histology stain will stain mucins and mucosubstances blue. Copper in the
histology stain is what ultimately is responsible for the blue color. Nuclei will stain
pink/red. Cytoplasm stains a lighter pink. Mucins stain blue.

Histology slide courtesy

of Paragon Bioservices
Alizarin Red S
This histology stain is an anthraquinone derivative. This histology stain can be may
be used to identify calcium in tissue sections.
Alkaline Phosphatase
This histology stain will stain endothelial cells. Sites of alkaline phophatase activity
will appear red. Nuclei will stain blue.

Histology slide courtesy

of Paragon Bioservices
Bielschowsky Stain
Silver is used in this histology staining process. This histology stain shows reticular
fibers. This histology stain is also used for showing neurofibrillary tangles and senile
plaques. Neurofibrillary tangles and senile plaques will stain black.

Histology slide courtesy

of Paragon Bioservices
Cajal Stain
This histology stain is used on nervous tissue.

Histology slide courtesy of

Education Interactive, Human Histology Photo CD
Congo Red
Congo red histology stain is used to stain amyloid. Amyloid will stain orange/red.

Histology slide courtesy of

Corel Professional Photos Histology CD
Cresyl Violet
This histology stain is a Nissl stain. Cresyl violet will stain both neurons and glia. It
bonds well with acidic parts of cells such as ribosomes, nuclei and nucleoli. It stains
cell bodies a blue/violet.

Histology slide courtesy of

CDC/Dr. Karp, Emory University
Fontana-Masson
This histology stain uses silver. Fontana-Masson stains argentaffin granules and
melanin black. The nucleus will stain pink/red. The cytoplasm will stain light pink.

Histology slide courtesy

of Paragon Bioservices
Giemsa Stain
This is a histology stain for peripheral blood smears and bone marrow. It is also used
to visualize parasites and malaria. This is a Romanowski type stain. Methylene blue
and eosin are used. Erythrocytes stain pink/red. Platelets and leukocytes stain blue.
This micrograph depicts the appearance of a well-stained slide using the Giemsa
staining technique.
Note that the acidic components of the cellular constituents such as the cytoplasm

and chromatin, pick up the basic methylene blue azure compliments of the Giemsa
stain, which reveals the characteristic blue
coloration of this stain.

Histology slide courtesy of

CDC/ Steven Glenn, Laboratory & Consultation Division
Golgi Stain
This histology stain will stain neurons.

Histology slide courtesy

of Paragon Bioservices
Gomori Trichrome
A trichrome histology stain is a mixture of three dyes. Gomori's trichrome will stain
connective tissue and collagen green or blue. It stains muscle, keratin and
cytoplasm red. Nuclei will stain gray/blue/black.
H&E
This is a standard histology stain. "H&E" stand for hematoxylin and eosin.
Hematoxylin and eosin stain is used for routine tissue preparation frequently. This is
the most often used combination in the histology lab for general purpose staining.
Hematoxylin can be thought of as a basic dye. It binds to acidic structures, staining
them blue to purple. It will bind and stain nucleic acids. Therefore, the nucleus
stains blue.
Eosin is an acid aniline dye. It will bind to and stain basic structures (or negatively
charged structures), such as cationic amino groups on proteins. It stains them pink.
Cytoplasm, muscle, connective tissue, colloid, red blood cells and decalcified bone
matrix all stain pink to pink/orange/red with eosin.
With an H&E stain, mucus and cartilage will stain a light blue color.

Histology slide courtesy

of anonymous donation
Iron Hematoxylin
This histology stain will stain nuclei bluish/black.

Luna Stain
This histology stain can be used to demonstrate elastin and mast cells. Elastin fibers
and mast cells will stain purple. Nuclei will stain black.

Histology slide courtesy

of Paragon Bioservices
Luxol Fast Blue
This histology stain is the alcohol soluble equivalent of alician blue. Luxol fast blue is
used to demonstrate myelin. It stains myelin blue to blue/green. Neurons stain
violet. Red blood cells stain blue.

Histology slide courtesy

of Paragon Bioservices
Mallory Trichome
A trichrome histology stain is a mixture of three dyes. This histology stain is used on
connective tissue to visualize collagen and reticular fibers.
Masson Trichome
A trichrome histology stain is a mixture of three dyes. This histology stain can be
helpful for differentiating cellular from extracellular items. This histology stain uses
light green, iron hematoxylin, and acid fuchsin. It is useful on connective tissue.
Collagen fibers stain green or blue with Masson's trichrome stain. Muscle and
keratin will be red. Cytoplasm will be pink to red. Nuclei will be black.

Histology slide courtesy

of Paragon Bioservices
Movat's Pentachrome Stain
This histology stain is used to visualize connective tissue.

Histology slide courtesy of National

Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and
National Human Genome Research Institute
Mucicarmine
Mucicarmine is a histology stain used to see epithelial mucin. It stains it a deep red.
Nissl Stains
These histology stains are basic dyes. They stain RNA and DNA. It is used to see
Nissl body in neurons. Nissl bodies stain purple/blue.

Histology slide courtesy

of Paragon Bioservices
Nuclear Fast Red
This histology stains nuclei red. The cytoplasm will be unstained or yellow. This
histology slide of the liver tissue stained postive for calcium deposits (stained black)
with Von Kossa and the background is stained with nuclear fast red.

Histology slide courtesy

of Colorado HistoPrep
Oil Red O
This is a histology stain used for lipids. Lipids will stain red. Nuclei will stain
blue/black.

Histology slide courtesy of

Hiistopathology Reference Lab
Orcien Stain
A histology stain used for elastin fibers.

Osmium Tetroxide
This histology stain can be used to stain lipids. Collagen and erythrocytes will stain
brown. Myelin and lipids will stain black.

Histology slide courtesy of

Cutting Image Histology
Papanicolaou Stain
This histology stain is used mainly on exfoliated cytological specimens. Cells in
smear preparations can be stained with Pap staining. Gynecological smears (Pap
smears), sputum, urine, cerebrospinal fluid, abdominal fluid, pleural fluid, synovial
fluid, semminal fluid and fine needle aspiration samples can all be stained with a
Pap stain. This staining technique involving five dyes in three solutions.

Histology slide courtesy of

Alex Brollo/Hospital of Monfalcone (Italy)
Periodic Acid-Schiff (PAS)
This histology stain is particularly useful for staining glycogen and other
carbohydrates, but is useful for many things. It is often used to show glomeruli,
basement membranes, and glycogen in the liver. PAS stains glycogen, mucin,
mucoprotein, and glycoproteins magenta. The nuclei will stain blue. Collagen will
stain pink.

Histology slide courtesy

of Paragon Bioservices
Phosphotungstic Acid-Hematoxylin (PTAH)
This histology stain is used to stain striated muscle fibers and mitochondria. They
will stain blue. Nucleus, red blood cells and muscle all will stain blue. Collagen will
stain red. In this histology slide of the tongue, PTAH stains the collagen pink, fibrin
blue, and striated muscle blue as well.

Histology slide courtesy

of Colorado HistoPrep
PicroSirius Red (polarized)
When used with polarized light, this is a way to visualize collagen. With polarized
microscopy, collagen fibers will be bright yellow or orange and the thinner fibers will
be green.

Histology slide courtesy of

Cutting Image Histology
Prussian Blue
Prussian blue histology stain is used to stain iron (ferric iron and ferritin).

Histology slide courtesy of

Dr. Gordon D. McLaren/CDC
Reticular Fiber Stain
This histology stain uses silver salt. Reticular fibers become black. Sometimes a
counterstain is used.

Histology slide courtesy of

Histopathology Reference Lab
Romanowsky Stains
These histology stains are used for blood and bone marrow. Examples of
Romanowsky histology stains include Wright's stain, Giemsa stain and Jenner's
stain. These histology stains are based on a combination of eosin and methylene
blue.

Safranin O
This histology stain will stain mucin, cartilage and mast cells. It stains them
orange/red. Safranin O is sometimes used as a counterstain.

Histology slide courtesy

of Paragon Bioservices
Silver Stains
These histology stains use silver. Argyrphilic tissue has an affinity for silver salts.
The silver salts will be seen in argyrphilic tissues. Silver histology stains are used to
show melanin and retiuclar fibers. Reticular fibers will stain black.
Sudan Stains
Sudan histology stains are used for staining of lipids and phospholipids. Examples of
such histology stains are sudan black, sudan IV, and oil red O.
Tartrazine
This histology stain will stain cytoplasm, cartilage, and red blood cells yellow.
Toludine Blue
This knee joint is stained to show the growth plate in purple.

Histology slide courtesy

of Colorado HistoPrep
Van Gieson
This histology stain is sometimes used in conjunction with iron hematoxylin. This
histology stain can be used to differentiate collagen and smooth muscle. Cytoplasm
and muscle stains brown/yellow. Collagen stains red. Red blood cells stain yellow.
Cartilage stains pink.
Verhoeff Stain
A histology stain used for connective tissue and particularly to see elastic fibers.
Sometimes a counter stain is used. This histology stain is can be useful when
looking at lung tissue and arteries. Elastin will stain a dark brown/black. The nucleus
of cells stains black.

Histology slide courtesy

of Paragon Bioservices

Von Kossa Stain

This histology stain is a silver reduction method used to visualize calcium and
calcium deposits. Here the chondrocytes in the growth plate are staining black.

Histology slide courtesy

of Colorado HistoPrep
Wright's Stain
This histology stain is used for blood smears and bone marrow smears.
This histology stain uses a blend of basic dyes, such as methylene blue derivatives
and acid dyes, such as eosin.
Red blood cells stain reddish/pink. Eosinophilic granules will be a bright orange/red.
The nucleus of white blood cells will stain purple. Basophilic granules will stain
blue/black. Neutrophilic granules stain pale brown. Platelets stain purple. The
cytoplasm of lymphocytes stains pale blue.
This histology slide has been stained using an "automatic staining" device. It is a
Wright's stain. The acidic components, such as the nucleic acids, will take on the
basic portion of the stain, or the methylene azure color, and stain blue. The basic
components, such as erythrocyte hemoglobin, will stain pink with eosin, since eoisn
is an acidic dye.