Fluid preservation of zoological specimens

Abstract

Preservation of organic materials in fluids for later dissection and education in biobanking stems from the need to prevent their degradation by the action of decomposers. Decomposers can be endogenous (e.g., enzymes) or exogenous (fungi, bacteria, protists, etc.) to the organism. In this chapter, we discuss the different causes of decomposition and methods to prevent decay of zoological specimens, for the purpose of biobanking, using taxidermy and fluid preservation.