Thin Sectioning of Slice Preparations for Immunohistochemistry

Reference: https://app.jove.com/v/194/thin-secti...
Thin sectioning is a crucial step in the preparation of slices for immunohistochemistry. This process involves cutting the tissue sample into thin sections, typically between 4-10 micrometers in thickness, using a microtome. The sections are then mounted onto glass slides and treated with various reagents to enhance the visualization of specific proteins or molecules of interest.

Thin sectioning is necessary because it allows for the visualization of cellular and subcellular structures at high resolution. This is important in immunohistochemistry because it enables the detection of specific proteins or molecules within the tissue sample. Without thin sectioning, the tissue would be too thick to visualize individual cells or structures, making it difficult to accurately identify and localize the target of interest.

In addition to enabling visualization, thin sectioning also allows for the penetration of antibodies and other reagents into the tissue sample. This is important because it ensures that the reagents can bind to their target molecules and produce a detectable signal. If the tissue were too thick, the reagents may not be able to penetrate deep enough to bind to their targets, resulting in a false negative result.