Figure 1

Macroscopic aspect of fixation. Tissue fragments still immersed in different fixatives after 16 hours (left); detail of Z7 fixed tissue following fixation, and within the biopsy cassette (right). Z7 tissue retains the original color of unfixed specimens while other samples show variations in color. It is important to be aware of and remember the difference of color modifications typical of each fixative, and not to only rely on discoloration to judge the final point of fixation. Some alcohol-based fixatives (like FineFixx) are second only to Z7 in the preservation of colors.