Haematoxylin
Haematoxylin
Haematoxylin (pronounced: /ˌhiːməˈtɒksɪlɪn/), also spelled hematoxylin, is a basic dye that is widely used in histology for staining. The term is derived from the Greek words 'haima' and 'xylon', which mean 'blood' and 'wood' respectively.
Etymology
The term 'haematoxylin' is derived from the Greek words 'haima' meaning 'blood' and 'xylon' meaning 'wood'. This is because the dye was originally extracted from the heartwood of the logwood tree, Haematoxylum campechianum.
Usage
Haematoxylin is commonly used in combination with a counterstain, most often eosin, in a method known as H&E staining. This is the most widely used staining technique in medical diagnosis, for example when examining tissue sections in histopathology.
Related Terms
- Histology: The study of the microscopic structure of tissues.
- Eosin: A fluorescent red dye resulting from the action of bromine on fluorescein, and named because of its intense pink colouring under ultraviolet light.
- H&E staining: A popular method in histology for examining the structure and pathology of tissues.
- Histopathology: The microscopic examination of tissue in order to study the manifestations of disease.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Haematoxylin
- Wikipedia's article - Haematoxylin
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