CARBOHYDRATESPeriodic acid SchiffPAS postive - red/magenta redNuclei blue

PAS with diastase for glycogenGlycogen redNuclei blue black

Best carmineGlycogen bright red granulesNuclei blue/grayish blueMucin, fibrin weak red

Langhans Iodine method for glycogen(Carletons method)Glycogen mahogany brownTissue constituents yellow

Fresh frozen azure Ametachromatic staining for glycosaminoglycanGlycosaminoglycan red-purpleTissue background blue

Alcian blue techniqueAcid mucin blueNuclei red

Metachromatic toluidine blue stainingGlycosaminoglycan red-purpleTissue background blue

Combined aldehyde fuchsin-alcian blueSulfated mucin purpleCarboxylated mucin - blue

Mucicarmine stainMucin blueNuclei red

Hales dialyzed (colloidal) iron techniqueAcid mucin dark blueNuclei - red

Fluorescent acridine orange tehcniqueAcid mucopolysaccharides blackFungi greenish red fluorescenceBackground reddish orange fluorescence

FATS/LIPIDSSudan IV (Scharlch R) for lipidsLipids (mainly triglycerides) redNuclei blue/black

Oil red O method in dextrinFat- brilliant redNuclei blue

Osmic acid stain for fatsNuclei yellow-orangeFats - black

Nile blue sulfate for fatsNeutral fat pinkish redCholesterin esters and cholesterin fatty acids light redCerebrosides light blueFatty acids deep blue to violet

Toluidine blue acetone method for sulfatideSulfatide depostits stain metachromatic red brown/yellow

Borohydride-Periodic Schiff (BHPS) method for glycsides Gangliosides redNuclei blue

PROTEINSAlkaline fast green method for basic proteinsHistones and protamines (found in nuclei) green

Peracetic acid alcian blue for cystine and cysteineCystine, cysteine blue-green

Sakaguchis test for arginineArginine orange-red

ENZYMESGomori calcium method for ALPALP activity brownish-blackNuclei green

Gomori lead method for ACPACP activity blackNuclei green

Lead method for 5-nucleotidase (Wachstein and Meisel)5 nucleotidase blackish-brown deposits

-naphthyl acetate methodfor nonspecific esteraseEsterase reddish brownNuclei green

Indoxyl acetate method for nonspecific esterase (Holt & Withers)Esterase acitivity blueNuclei red

Tetrazolium method for monoamine oxidase Monoamine oxidase activity bluish black

NUCLEIC ACIDFeulgen technique for nucler DNADNA red-purpleCytoplasm green

Methyl green pyronin method for RNA and DNADNA (chromatin) green/blue greenRNA (nucleoli) rose-red

Acrdine orange fluorescent staining for RNA and DNADNA yellow-green fluorescenceRNAS brick to orange red

CONNECTIVE TISSUEGomoris silver impregnation stain for reticulinReticulin fibers black

Van Giesons stain for collagenCollagen pink or deep redMuscle, cytoplasm, rbc and fibrin yellowNuclei brownish black to black

Massons trichrome stainMuscle, rbc, keratin - red Nuclei blue-blackCollagen, mucus blue

Weigerts elastic tissue stainElastic fibers dark blue/blue-black on clear background

VerhoeffsElastic fibers blackNuclei gray to blackCollagen redCytoplasm, muscle yellow

Orcein (Taenzer-Unna-Orcein)Elastic fibers dark brownNuclei blue

Kajians Technique (Congo red)Elastic fibers bright redFibrin, CT dark blueRBC orange-yellow

Phosphotungstic acid hematoxylin (PTAH) staining (Mallorys)Fibrin, muscle striation, neuroglia, amoeba dark blueNuclei, cilia, rbc blueMyelin lighter blueCollagen, osteoid, cartilage, elastic fibers deep brownish-redCytoplasm pale pinkish brown

Highmans Congo red method for amyloidAmyloid deep pink to redNuclei blue

Alkaline Congo red tehcniqueAmyloid, elastic fibers, eosinophil granules red

Krajans amyloid stain (Bennhold method)Amyloid red on a clear backgroundNuclei blue

Methyl Violet crystal violet methodAmyloid purplish redNuclei, cytoplasm, CT, - shades of violet

MUSCLE AND BONEGomoris Trichrome stainMuscle fibers redCollagen greenNuclei blue to black

Mallorys phosphotungstic acid hemaotxylin(PTAH)Muscle, neuroglia blueMyelin 0 blue to blue-grayCollagen reddishCoarse elastic fibers bluishFibrin blueNuclei deep blue

Heidenhains iron hematoxylinMuscle striations, mitochondria, myelin & chromatin grey-black

Lissamine fast red tartrazine method for muscles and bonesMuscles, rbc redCollagen- yellowNuclei black

Schmoris picro-thionin methodLacunae, canaliculi dark brown/blackBone matrix yellow/brownish yellowCells - red

BONE MARROW AND BLOOD ELEMENTSRapid Toluidine eosin stain for glycol-methacrylate sectionsEosinophilic granules redBasophils & mast cell granules blueNuclei blueCytoplasm blue/pink

Wright-Giemsa or Jenner Giemsa stainNuclei purple/blueCytoplasm pink/blueEosinophils pink/red

Peroxidase reaction for myeloid cellsMyeloid cells (except basophils) green to dark blue granules

CENTRAL NERVOUS TISSUEBielchowskys technique for neurons, axons & neurofibrilsNeurofibrils, axons, dendrites black on grayish background

Sevier Munger technique for neural tissuesLarge & small peripheral neuritis blackAxons blackMyelin sheath light brownNeuritic plaques & tangles blackArgentaffin granules black

Cresyl fast violet (Nissl) stain for paraffin sectionsNissl granules purple/dark blueNeurons pale purple/blueCell nuclei purple blue

Weigert-Pal technique of staining normal myelin sheathMyelin sheath blue-blackCells brown

Kluver and Barrers Luxol fast blue stain for myelin with Nissle counterstainMyelin blue/greenCells violet

Luxol fast blue H & E stain for myelinMyelin blue-greenNuclei dark blueCytoplasm s hades of pink

Luxol fast blue PAS stain for myelinMyelin blue/greenFungi and PAS (+) elements rose to redNuclei dark blueCytoplasmic nucleoproteins bluish purpleCapillaries - red

Weils method for myelin sheathMyelin blackBackground yellow

Cajals gold sublimateAstrocytes black on a light brownish backgroundNerve cells redNerve fibers unstained

Holzers method for astrocytic processGlial fibril blueNuclei blueBackground - colorless

TISSUE PIGMETNS AND DEPOSITS Perls Prussian blue method for hemosiderin(ferric iron)Hemosiderin and ferric salts deep blueTissue, nuclei red

Gomoris Prussian blue stain for ironIrom pigments bright blueNuclei redCytoplasm pink to rose

Turnbulls blue reaction for ferrous iron (hemosiderin)Hemosiderin blueNuclei red

Benzidine nitroprusside stain for hemoglobin and oxidase granulesHgb, oxidase granules dark blueNuclei redOther tissues faint pink

Fouchets technique for liver bile pigmentsBile pigments emerald to blue greenMuscle yellowCollagen - red

Schmoris ferric ferricyanide method for reducing substancesBile, lipofuchsins, melanin- dark blueArgentaffin cells, chromatin dark blueThyroid colloid dark blueNuclei - red

Gomoris aldehyde fuchsin technique for lipofuchsinLipofuchsin purpleBackground yellow

Mallorys fuchsin stain for hemofuchsin pigmentHemofuchsin redHemosiderin unstainedNuclei blue

Masson-Fontana technqiue of staining melanin and argentaffin cells granulesMelanin blueArgentaffin cell granules blackNuclei red

Calcium-dye lake reactionCalcium salts intense reddish orangeBackground pale green

Von Kossas silver nitrate method for calciumCalcium salts blackNuclei red

Linqiusts modified rhosamine tehcnique for copperCoppe, copper associated protein red to orange-redNuclei blueBile - green

MICROORGANISMSGram-Twort stain for bacteriaGram(+) organisms blue-blackGram(-) organisms pink-redNuclei redMost cytoplasm, rbc greenElastic fibers black

Brown and Brenn (B & B) method for bacteria.Nocardia and ActinomycesGram (+) bacteria blueGram (-) bacteria redNuclei redOther tissue elements yellow

Ziehl-Neelsen method for AFB

AFB redCells, nuclei blueRBC pink

Wade-Fite for Leprosy bacilli and NocardiaM. leprae, other Mycobacteria, Nocardia redBackground blueNuclei blue-black (if hematoxylin is used)

Auramine-Rhodamine stain for Mycobacteria(Fluorescent method)Mycobacteria golden yellow (light fluoresence < 530nm)Background dark green

Toluidine blue stain for HelicobacterHelicobacter dark blue

Dieterle method for Legionella pneumophilaL. pneumophila, spirochetes dark brown to blackBackground yellow

Levaditis method for spirochetesSpirochetes black on a yellowish brown background

Warthin-Starry method for spirochetesSpirochetes blackBackground golden yellow

Modified Steiner and Steiner technique for spirochetesSpirochetes, Donovan bodies, fungi, bacteria blackBackground yellow to brown

Grocot methernamine silver(GMS) stain for fungiFungi blackMucin, glycogen gray-blackMyceliam hyaphae old roseRBC yellowBackground pale green

Lendrums phloxine tartrazine method for viral inclusionsViral inclusions bright redRBC yellwo to orange-redNuclei blue-grayBackground yellow to pink

Orcein method for HBsAgHbsAg brown-blackBackground yellow

Rapid Giemsa stain Bacteria blueMast cell granules deep blueEosinophilic granules redNuclei blueCytoplasm - pink