Alcian Blue/pH 2.5: stains both sulfated and carboxylated acid mucopolysaccharides and sulfated and carboxylated sialomucins (glycoproteins).

Alcian Blue/PAS: Acidic mucosubstances are stained with the alcian blue technique and neutral mucosubstances are stained by the PAS reaction.

AFB (Ziehl-Neelsen): for the demonstration of acid-fast organisms.

Argentaffin Granules, Fontana-Masson: for the demonstration of argentaffin substances such as melanin, argentaffin granules of carcinoid tumors, and some neurosecretory granules.

Calcium, Von Kossa’s: to identify the presence of calcium in tissue.

Colloidal Iron Hale’s: for demonstration of hyaluronic acid.

Congo Red: for the demonstration of amyloid.

Crystal Violet: for the demonstration of amyloid.

Elastic, Verhoeff’s: for the demonstration of elastic fibers.

Fungus, Grocott’s: for demonstration of fungus.

Giemsa-HP, Little Quicker: for the demonstration of Helicobacter pylori.

Gram, Brown & Hopps: for the demonstration of both Gram-negative and Gram-positive organisms.

Iron, Gomori’s: detects the ferric iron in loosely bound protein complexes (as in hemosiderin).

Mucicarmine Stain: for demonstration of acid groups of mucin.

Oil Red O: for demonstration of Neutral Fat.

Periodic Acid Schiff: for the demonstration of polysaccharides, neutral mucosubstances, and basement membranes.

Periodic Acid Schiff with Diastase: a very sensitive histochemical method for glycogen and for demonstration of fungus.

Reticular Fibers, Gordon & Sweet’s: for the demonstration of reticular fibers in tissue sections.

Trichrome, Masson’s:  used to differentiate between collagen and smooth muscle in tumors and to identify increases in collagenous tissue in diseases such as cirrhosis of the liver.

Warthin Starry:  for the demonstration of spirochetes, Helicobacter pylori, and Bartonella henselae (Cat Scratch).