The control slide for Luxol Fast Blue uses tissue from which region?

• A. Cerebellum
• B. Cortex
• C. Hippocampus
• D. Spinal Cord

Answer: (A)

Luxol Fast Blue specifically targets myelin, so a reliable positive control should show strong, easy-to-interpret myelin staining. The cerebellum provides a prominent, well-defined white matter region—the arbor vitae—that stains very distinctly blue with Luxol Fast Blue. This makes it a clear, reproducible indicator that the staining and differentiation steps are working correctly. Other regions, like the cortex, have less myelin and more variable patterns, the hippocampus shows mixed myelination, and although the spinal cord does contain white matter, cerebellar white matter is the most consistent and easy to recognize across slides.