title: Refinements of and commentary on the silver staining techniques of Fernández-Galiano.
abstract: The original ammoniacal silver carbonate staining technique and subsequent modification developed by Fernández-Galiano are useful for investigating ciliate protozoan systematics and/or ciliate cortical structure and morphogenesis. The technique is complicated, however, by both uncertainties arising from the need to count drops of reagents and subjective control of the staining intensity. I have resolved these complications by defining volumes of reagents rather than using drops and by defining a range of staining times. I also comment on various steps of the techniques. My techniques are simplified and refined to produce consistent, high quality staining results.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Biology , Texas A&M University , College Station , Texas.
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Aufderheide
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods; D010247:Paramecium; D012834:Silver; D016622:Silver Staining
chemical_list: D007202:Indicators and Reagents; C000212:ammoniacal silver; D012834:Silver
keywords: Fernández-Galiano staining, Paramecium; ciliates; cortical structures; protozoa; silver staining