Which silver impregnation technique is used to stain nervous tissue?

• A. Bielschowsky's Technique
• B. Golgi's Method
• C. Fontana-Masson
• D. Verhoeff's stain

Answer: (A)

Staining nervous tissue with silver aims to reveal the delicate neural fibers and neurofibrils that form the network of the nervous system. Bielschowsky's technique uses silver impregnation to highlight these axons and nerve fibers, producing a dark, detailed image of the fiber tracks against a lighter background. This makes it a go-to method for tracing neural pathways and observing fiber pathology in CNS and PNS tissues. Golgi's method also uses silver but impregnates a random subset of neurons to show whole cell morphology, which is a different type of visualization. Fontana-Masson targets argentaffin substances like melanin, and Verhoeff's stain highlights elastic fibers, not neural tissue. So for focusing on staining nervous tissue to visualize nerve fibers and neurofibrils, Bielschowsky's technique is the most appropriate choice.