General aspects in tissue preparation

Immunohistology was invented as a specific tool for the identification of biomarkers in the microscope and to understand structure-function-relationships. The term biomarkers may be defined or used for biomolecules possessing particular features that make them useful in the context of histological tracing or measuring or monitoring under certain conditions which include a variety of aspects in phylogenetic, ontogenetic and disease development. Today, immunohistological techniques are essential tools for proteom and transcriptom analysis as well as for histopathologic diagnostics. In order to get familiar with histological techniques in general it is recommended to begin the studies with one or more of the classical histology handbooks (GRAUMANN W and NEUMANN K, 1958; ROMEIS B, 1968; GLAUERT AM, 1975; LILLIE RD and FULLMER HM, 1976; BÖCK P, 1989; BANCROFT JD and GAMBLE M, 2007; KIERNAN JA, 2008).