Fixation and Fixatives: Roles and Functions—A Short Review

Abstract

Fixation is considered as physiochemical process where cells or tissues are fixed chemically. Fixatives perform various functions such as prevention of autolysis and tissue putrefaction. Various fixative agents include formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, osmium tetroxide, glyoxal, picric acid, and so on. A detailed search on PubMed, Google scholar, and Scopus database showed very few articles on “fixation” and “fixative.” Keeping this fact in mind, a comprehensive review on fixation and fixatives was prepared. The main aim of this review is to make pathologists and laboratory technicians familiar with the basic aspects and different types of fixatives.