Stains & molecular markers
Giemsa stain
Copyright: 2003-2021, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: Giemsa stain
Giemsa stain
Author: Nat Pernick, M.D.
Topic Completed: 1 October 2013
Minor changes: 16 December 2020
Copyright: 2003-2021, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: Giemsa stain
Cite this page: Pernick N. Giemsa stain. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/stainsgiemsa.html. Accessed January 16th, 2021.
Definition / general
- As a hematology stain, works best with alcohol fixed smears
- As a histology stain, detects mast cells and microorganisms, such as Giardia or Helicobacter
- A "Romanowsky-type" stain, composed of mixtures of methylene blue, azure, and eosin compounds
- Methylene blue is a metachromatic stain, meaning that some tissue components (mast cell granules, cartilage, mucin, amyloid) stain purple and not blue
Microscopic (histologic) images
Contributed by Andrey Bychkov, M.D., Ph.D.
H. pylori
