One cause of the problem is which of these?

• A. Too much blade tilt
• B. Too little blade tilt
• C. Dull blade
• D. Incorrect orientation

Answer: (A)

The key idea is how blade geometry affects the cutting action in microtomy. When the blade tilt is too great, the edge enters the tissue at an overly steep angle, reducing the clean shearing action and causing tearing, chatter, and irregular ribbons. This disrupts section quality and produces artifacts like thinning or ruptured ribbons, especially near the surface of the block. A little tilt is usually enough to promote a smooth shear cut, while a dull blade or incorrect orientation would cause different issues (sharpness loss or misalignment), not the specific tearing and chatter associated with excessive tilt. So, the problem is best explained by too much blade tilt.