Any fixative containing mercuric salts will leave a pigment in the tissue.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Both
• D. Neither

Answer: (A)

Mercury-containing fixatives create an insoluble pigment in tissue. When mercuric ions are present during fixation, they interact with tissue components (especially sulfur-containing sites) and deposit as a dark, granular pigment that remains through processing and staining. This mercurial pigment is a well-known artifact of fixatives like Zenker’s solution, so any fixative containing mercuric salts is likely to leave this pigment in the tissue. That’s why the statement is true.