Neither B-5 nor Orth contain acetic acid. Which statement is true?

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not stated
• D. Both contain acetic acid

Answer: (A)

Understanding fixative composition helps you predict what chemical components are present. Acetic acid is included in some fixatives to preserve certain cellular details, especially nuclear components, but not all fixatives contain it. B-5 and Orth's fixatives are formulated without acetic acid, using formalin- or alcohol-based mixes instead. Because neither contains acetic acid, the claim that neither B-5 nor Orth contains acetic acid is true. If you’ve encountered fixatives like Bouin's or Carnoy's, which do include acetic acid, you can see how those differ from B-5 and Orth's.