microtomy
Definition
Noun: - The art or technique of cutting extremely thin sections of material: "microtomy" refers to the process of preparing very thin slices (typically 1–100 micrometers thick) of biological or other specimens for microscopic examination, using a specialized instrument called a microtome.
Usage Examples
- (The technician was skilled in cutting ultra-thin sections for detailed imaging.)
- (Improvements in the cutting technique have enabled better analysis of cells.)
Advanced Usage
"cryo-microtomy": a variant performed at very low temperatures, often used to preserve fragile specimens.
- Cryo-microtomy is essential for studying lipid-rich tissues without distortion. (Cutting at freezing temperatures prevents damage to fatty samples.)
"ultra-microtomy": a specialized form of microtomy that produces sections thinner than 50 nanometers, used in transmission electron microscopy.
- Ultra-microtomy requires a diamond knife to achieve the necessary precision. (The cutting tool must be extremely sharp for such thin slices.)
Variants and Related Words
- Microtome (n): the instrument used to perform microtomy.
- The microtome was calibrated to cut sections exactly 5 micrometers thick. (The device was adjusted for precise slicing.)
- Microtomic (adj): relating to or produced by microtomy.
- The microtomic sections were stained for better contrast under the microscope. (The slices prepared by microtomy were dyed for visibility.)
Synonyms
- Sectioning: the general process of cutting specimens into thin slices.
- Slicing: a less formal term for cutting thin layers.
- Histotomy: an older term for the cutting of tissues for histology.
Related Idioms
- (No common idioms exist for "microtomy" due to its specialized technical nature.)