Mouse Phenotyping UCSD University of California San Diego

Skin and Other Small Biopsies

Fixing Procedure:
Fix skin or other thin biopsy flat between sponges for 24 hours, in 10 times volume of either 10% buffered formalin, or freshly made 4% paraformaldehyde. Transfer to 70% alchohol before submitting for processing.
(Click for full Size Image)

To get sections of skin or other small biopsies, please note the following:

  1. When fixing skin, cervix, or esophagus biopsies, it is really important to orient correctly before fixing.
  2. When submitting the samples to the histology lab, make sure you let them know that the SPECIMEN IS FIXED FLAT as shown on the diagram to the right.
  3. Accompany your request for processing with instructions that say specifically to "EMBED ON EDGE", so that sections will then allow visualization of the appropriate layers in sequence.
  4. Small biopsies also require shorter processing times -- thus the Histotechnologists need to be alerted about that as well.
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