Osmium

Osmium tetroxide is both a stain and a fixative for lipid, a chemical reaction that produces a brown color visible by light microscopy. Lipid can be distributed as small, cytoplasmic droplets (left) or a single large droplet that nearly fills the cell (right). This latter distribution occurs in adipocytes, which are specialized fat storage cells. The use of osmium to preserve lipids for electron microscopy, provides electron density to tissues. Toluidine blue stain, 1000x, 1000x

Osmium tetroxide is both a stain and a fixative for lipid, a chemical reaction that produces a brown color visible by light microscopy. Lipid can be distributed as small, cytoplasmic droplets (left) or a single large droplet that nearly fills the cell (right). This latter distribution occurs in adipocytes, which are specialized fat storage cells. The use of osmium to preserve lipids for electron microscopy, provides electron density to tissues. Toluidine blue stain, 1000x, 1000x

Osmium tetroxide is both a stain and a fixative for lipid, a chemical reaction that produces a brown color visible by light microscopy. Lipid can be distributed as small, cytoplasmic droplets (left) or a single large droplet that nearly fills the cell (right). This latter distribution occurs in adipocytes, which are specialized fat storage cells. The use of osmium to preserve lipids for electron microscopy, provides electron density to tissues. Toluidine blue stain, 1000x, 1000x