Editing Histology (section)

====Light microscopy====
[[Image:Masson's trichrome staining on rat's trachea.jpg|thumb|300px|left|[[Masson's trichrome]] staining on rat [[trachea]] ]]
[[Hematoxylin]] and [[eosin]] ([[H&E stain]]) is one of the most commonly used stains in histology to show the general structure of the tissue.<ref name="Ross and Pawlina, 2016" /><ref name="Dapson and Horobin, 2009" /> Hematoxylin stains cell [[cell nucleus|nuclei]] blue; eosin, an [[Acid (chemistry)|acidic]] dye, stains the [[cytoplasm]] and other tissues in different stains of pink.<ref name="Ross and Pawlina, 2016" /><ref name="Bancroft and Stevens, 1982" />

In contrast to H&E, which is used as a general stain, there are many techniques that more selectively stain cells, cellular components, and specific substances.<ref name="Bancroft and Stevens, 1982" />  A commonly performed histochemical technique that targets a specific chemical is the [[Perls' Prussian blue]] reaction, used to demonstrate iron deposits<ref name="Bancroft and Stevens, 1982" /> in diseases like [[hemochromatosis]]. The [[Nissl method]] for Nissl substance and [[Golgi's method]] (and related [[silver stains]]) are useful in identifying [[neuron]]s are other examples of more specific stains.<ref name="Bancroft and Stevens, 1982" />