Fixation

• Fixatives


  Chemical agents used to prevent the deterioration of tissues and to keep the tissues in a life-like manner
• What happens to a tissue once it is removed from the body

  1. Autolysis

  2. Putrefaction
• Autolysis


  The digesting of tissues due to enzyme activities. It is also cell death due to enzymatic activities
• Putrefaction


  Tissue degradation as a result of bacterial activity. It is the decomposition or decay
• Fixation process


  Chemical agents are used to prevent autoly and putrefaction
• Fixatives


  • Used to prevent autolysis and putrefaction
• Methods of fixation


  • Chemical method
  • Physical method