ASCP PRACTICE QUESTIONS –
HISTOTECHNOLOGY QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS WITH SOLUTIONS 2024
Acetic acid - ANSWER This fixative does not fix or destroy carbohydrates, and it does not fix lipids. It
penetrates very rapidly and leaves tissue very soft. It is added to many fixative mixtures because of its
ability to fix nuclei.
Glutaraldehyde - ANSWER Techniques using Schiff reagent, such as the periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) stain,
cannot be used on __________ fixed tissues because false positive results will be obtained.
Glyoxal - ANSWER This fixative is the smallest dialdehyde and is used in the textile industry for imparting
wrinkle resistance and permanent press creases. It has replaced formaldehyde in some histopathology
laboratories because it is much less toxic.
Zinc salts - ANSWER Today, _________ has/have found use not only in combination with formaldehyde
for routine fixation, but as a substitute for mercury in the B-5 solution commonly used for the fixation of
lymph node and bone marrow tissues
Michel transport medium - ANSWER If unfixed tissue is to be held for several days or transported over a
long distance then this transport medium is recommended.
Dehydration, clearing, infiltration - ANSWER Tissue processing is usually considered to include:
Xylene - ANSWER The most widely used clearing agent in histology today is:
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) - ANSWER This chelating agent binds calcium ions and is one
method used for decalcifying tissues.
Phase-contrast microscope - ANSWER This microscope is used for the examination of unstained
specimens, especially unstained living cells, and allows almost transparent objects to be seen clearly.
Cryostat - ANSWER This piece of equipment is a refrigerated chamber containing a microtome
, that is used to cut frozen sections.
Hazardous chemicals - ANSWER OSHA defines ____________ as chemicals that may cause acute or
chronic health effects in exposed employees.
Toxic dose low - ANSWER The lowest dose of a substance that will produce any toxic effect in humans
when introduced by any route other than inhalation is the:
Reactivity - ANSWER The right yellow diamond in the NFPA coded labeling system carries a chemical's
____________ information.
Nucleolus - ANSWER This dense, rounded, and usually intensely basophilic mass in the nucleus of
a cell consists of 80% to 90% protein and produces most if not all of the ribosomal RNA.
Ribosomes - ANSWER These cell structures are often found attached to the endoplasmic reticulum
and are the site of protein synthesis.
Hematoxylin - ANSWER The most widely used nuclear stain for routine histology sections is:
PAS with diastase digestion - ANSWER The main purpose of this stain is to demonstrate glycogen in tissue
sections.
Alkaline congo red method - ANSWER Amyloid is best demonstrated in tissue using:
Cardiac muscle - ANSWER This muscle type is striated but involuntary. The cells branch and anastomose
and each cell usually has only one centrally located nucleus.
Sudan black B - ANSWER This stain is the most sensitive of the lipid dyes and is also used in
hematopathology to aid in differentiating granulocyte precursors from leukocytes committed to
lymphocytic or monocytic pathways.
HISTOTECHNOLOGY QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS WITH SOLUTIONS 2024
Acetic acid - ANSWER This fixative does not fix or destroy carbohydrates, and it does not fix lipids. It
penetrates very rapidly and leaves tissue very soft. It is added to many fixative mixtures because of its
ability to fix nuclei.
Glutaraldehyde - ANSWER Techniques using Schiff reagent, such as the periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) stain,
cannot be used on __________ fixed tissues because false positive results will be obtained.
Glyoxal - ANSWER This fixative is the smallest dialdehyde and is used in the textile industry for imparting
wrinkle resistance and permanent press creases. It has replaced formaldehyde in some histopathology
laboratories because it is much less toxic.
Zinc salts - ANSWER Today, _________ has/have found use not only in combination with formaldehyde
for routine fixation, but as a substitute for mercury in the B-5 solution commonly used for the fixation of
lymph node and bone marrow tissues
Michel transport medium - ANSWER If unfixed tissue is to be held for several days or transported over a
long distance then this transport medium is recommended.
Dehydration, clearing, infiltration - ANSWER Tissue processing is usually considered to include:
Xylene - ANSWER The most widely used clearing agent in histology today is:
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) - ANSWER This chelating agent binds calcium ions and is one
method used for decalcifying tissues.
Phase-contrast microscope - ANSWER This microscope is used for the examination of unstained
specimens, especially unstained living cells, and allows almost transparent objects to be seen clearly.
Cryostat - ANSWER This piece of equipment is a refrigerated chamber containing a microtome
, that is used to cut frozen sections.
Hazardous chemicals - ANSWER OSHA defines ____________ as chemicals that may cause acute or
chronic health effects in exposed employees.
Toxic dose low - ANSWER The lowest dose of a substance that will produce any toxic effect in humans
when introduced by any route other than inhalation is the:
Reactivity - ANSWER The right yellow diamond in the NFPA coded labeling system carries a chemical's
____________ information.
Nucleolus - ANSWER This dense, rounded, and usually intensely basophilic mass in the nucleus of
a cell consists of 80% to 90% protein and produces most if not all of the ribosomal RNA.
Ribosomes - ANSWER These cell structures are often found attached to the endoplasmic reticulum
and are the site of protein synthesis.
Hematoxylin - ANSWER The most widely used nuclear stain for routine histology sections is:
PAS with diastase digestion - ANSWER The main purpose of this stain is to demonstrate glycogen in tissue
sections.
Alkaline congo red method - ANSWER Amyloid is best demonstrated in tissue using:
Cardiac muscle - ANSWER This muscle type is striated but involuntary. The cells branch and anastomose
and each cell usually has only one centrally located nucleus.
Sudan black B - ANSWER This stain is the most sensitive of the lipid dyes and is also used in
hematopathology to aid in differentiating granulocyte precursors from leukocytes committed to
lymphocytic or monocytic pathways.
