The ultimate product of the meticulous TMA construction process is not the block itself, but the thin sections that are cut from it. After the recipient block is filled with hundreds of tissue cores and the paraffin is solidified, it is mounted on a microtome—an instrument for slicing extremely thin sections. Using a microtome, sections as thin as 3 to 5 micrometers (µm) are serially cut from the face of the TMA block. These ultra-thin sections are then floated on a water bath to smooth out wrinkles and carefully picked up onto standard glass microscope slides. It is these slides, now containing miniature arrays of all the tissue samples, that are the functional endpoint. They are then subjected to various staining protocols (like immunohistochemistry or FISH) to generate the visual and quantitative data for research or diagnostics. The block itself is stored and can yield hundreds of such identical slides over time.

Break down complex topics into smaller, manageable chunks for easier recall.

Zambia

• Joseph Soko – 101 pts

• Visual Pathway Lesions
• Positive and Negative Symptoms
• Hallucinations and Delusions
• Antipsychotic Medications
• Emergency: Environmental Emergencies