History of Dye Staining in Pathology

Abstract

The aim of tissue staining is to make cells and tissue structures observable, using the binding capacity and permeability of the dye. The hematoxylin and eosin staining method developed by Busch in 1878 combined, hematoxylin, the natural dye and eosin, the chemical dye. Papanicolaou (Pap) staining, introduced in 1942, is a method employing the diffusion permeability of the dyes involved. These staining methods are the gold standard for diagnosis in human histology and cytology.