Question

Why do we use glycerine as mounting medium instead of water?

• A. To clean the material
• B. To enlarge the material
• C. To colour the material
• D. To prevent the material from drying

Answer 1

The correct option is D

To prevent the material from drying

The correct answer is D.

An explanation for the correct answer:

• Glycerin, commonly known as glycerol, is a naturally occurring substance generated from vegetable or animal fats.
• Glycerine is an excellent hydrating liquid. It prevents the specimen from drying out over the course of the examination. It provides a moist medium for the stain, making it easier to see the cell structure.

The explanation for the incorrect options:

Option A:

• Cleaning agents, often known as hard-surface cleaners, are compounds that are used to remove debris off surfaces, such as dust, stains, foul odors, and clutter, and glycerine is not one of them.

Option B:

• Glycerine is not used for enlarging the material.

Option C:

• Dye is used for staining the material.

Therefore, glycerine is used as mounting material instead of water to prevent the material from drying.