The problem seen in the image could most likely be corrected by which action?

• A. Moving to an unused part of the blade
• B. Replacing the stain
• C. Increasing dehydration time
• D. Reducing section thickness

Answer: (A)

When tissue sections show artifacts from a cut, the most likely culprit is a damaged or dull blade edge. Moving to an unused part of the blade provides a fresh, sharp edge, which cuts the tissue cleanly and produces uniform ribbons without tearing or chatter. The other options don’t fix the mechanical issue at the knife edge: changing the stain affects coloration, not cutting quality; increasing dehydration time alters processing rather than the blade’s edge; and reducing section thickness changes how the tissue is cut but won’t remedy a nicked or dull edge and can sometimes worsen cutting artifacts if the blade isn’t sharp.