MICROTOMY Meaning and
Definition
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Microtomy is a scientific procedure that involves cutting or sectioning thin slices of biological specimens for microscopic examination. It is primarily used in the field of histology and pathology, where precise and thin sections of tissues are required to study the cellular structures and identify any abnormalities or diseases.
The purpose of microtomy is to prepare tissue samples for further analysis under a microscope. To achieve this, a microtome, a specialized instrument, is used to cut thin and uniform sections of the specimen. The microtome can be manual or automated, and it enables the technician to have control over the thickness of the slices, typically ranging from a few micrometers to a few millimeters.
Microtomy involves embedding the tissue sample into a supporting medium, such as paraffin or resin, which provides stability during slicing. The embedded block is then mounted onto the microtome, where a blade or knife cuts the tissue into thin sections that can be collected on glass slides. These sections are subsequently dried, stained, and coverslipped to preserve and enhance the cellular details.
The sliced tissue sections are then ready for examination under a microscope, allowing researchers and pathologists to study and identify normal and abnormal cellular features, as well as to diagnose diseases. Microtomy plays a critical role in various scientific disciplines, including medicine, research, and education, as it enables a close examination of tissue architecture and cellular patterns, leading to a better understanding of diseases and improving patient care.
Common Misspellings for MICROTOMY
- microtome
- nicrotomy
- kicrotomy
- jicrotomy
- mucrotomy
- mjcrotomy
- mkcrotomy
- mocrotomy
- m9crotomy
- m8crotomy
- mixrotomy
- mivrotomy
- mifrotomy
- midrotomy
- miceotomy
- micdotomy
- micfotomy
- mictotomy
- mic5otomy
- mic4otomy
Etymology of MICROTOMY
The word "microtomy" is derived from the combination of two Greek words: "mikros" meaning "small" or "tiny", and "tome" meaning "a cutting" or "a slice". Therefore, "microtomy" refers to the process of cutting very thin slices of material, typically used in microscopy and histology.
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