LABORATORY REAGENTS AND THEIR USES

1. Field stain: Field stain A and B, is a reagent used in malaria parasite ( MP) test.  

2. Buffer: This a substance used to resist change in the PH of a substance.

  

3. Carbol Fuchsine: This is a stain or dye that is used in Acid Fast Bacilli (AFB) in Ziel Nelson’s staining techniques.

  

4. Alcohol/Ethanol: This is used as a decolorizer in Gram staining techniques.

5. Methylene blue: This reagent that is used as a counter stain in Acid fast Bacilli staining procedure. 

6. Immersion oil: This is oil that is used to increase the resolution power of a microscope lens by increasing the refractive index of the medium.

  

7. Lughole iodine: It is used as a MORDANT to enhance interaction between a specimen and a dye or stain.

  

8. Crystal violet: Crystal violet is a primary stain used in Gram staining.

9. Normal Saline or Physiological Saline: Is a solution of distilled water and salt, prepared by weighting 3% of sodium chloride (NACL) in   100ml of water. Normal Saline is used to prevent cell haemolysis by keeping it alive.   

10. Leisman’s Stain: it is a differential stain. 

11. Sodium nitrate:This reagent is used in erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR).