Nita -
I worked in a derm lab (for Surgipath years ago) and found the best way to
embed skin was just as you described - so you don't hit one hard piece of
epithelium and chip out your whole "straight' line.  I've trained histotechs
to embed this way as well, with all tissues, not just skin.  The denser or
harder area of the tissue always is the last to pass the knife edge so you
section the softer areas first, avoiding dragging cutting artifact from hard
tissue and tearing through the soft.  Does that make sense to you guys?

Jackie O'Connor
Global Pharmaceutical Research and Development
Abbott Laboratories
Drug Discovery -Chemotheraputics
Abbott Park, IL  60064
Jackie.O'Connor@abbott.com


                                                                                                               
                    Nita Searcy                                                                                
                               cc:                                                                   
                                         Subject:     Embedding                                                
                    09/19/2002                                                                                 
                    01:26 PM                                                                                   
                                                                                                               
                                                                                                               




I have a question regarding "proper embedding"---I have been practicing for 35
yrs., am at new position and funny thing, I do things incorrectly---


Anyway, correct embedding--epithelium from skin - "all going same way" but I
embed on a slant not  in a straight row. The knife blade hits one piece at a
time not the entire
"straight " line.

Glenda Hoye and the instructors- do you have a reference?