Ethanol is a clearing agent.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not recommended
• D. Always

Answer: (B)

Clearing agents are solvents that replace the dehydrating medium and make the tissue translucent so paraffin can infiltrate. Ethanol is used for dehydration, not clearing. It is a polar solvent that does not efficiently displace the dehydrant or render tissue compatible with paraffin, so it doesn’t make tissue translucent or ready for paraffin infiltration. Therefore, ethanol is not a clearing agent. In routine processing, after alcohol dehydration, tissues are cleared with xylene or a substitute to enable proper paraffin infiltration.