Final answer:
Gill's hematoxylin is a nuclear stain used for tissue examination in histology, composed of the dye hematoxylin, aluminum salts, and acetic acid but does not include natural pigments from plants. It's used specifically for cellular differentiation, particularly in bone marrow biopsies.
Step-by-step explanation:
Gill's hematoxylin is a histological stain used predominantly in the examination of biological tissues. Unlike the natural dyes that come from materials such as wild holly root, red juniper root and Hematite in various colors, the components of Gill's hematoxylin focus on a specific staining mechanism. Gill's hematoxylin specifically acts as a nuclear stain, binding to the nuclei of cells and coloring them dark blue to purple. This is key for differentiating the cell nucleus from other cellular structures during microscopic examination.
Though the pigments from wild plants provided a range of colors, in the context of histology, those are not components of Gill's hematoxylin. Hematoxylin solutions are composed of the dye hematoxylin, aluminum salts as mordants, and an acid—often acetic acid. The solution may also include a solvent such as ethanol or water and sometimes additional stabilizing or enhancing agents.
Historically, hematoxylin was extracted from the heartwood of the logwood tree, but today it is often synthesized. Hematoxylin stains cell nuclei, while another stain called eosin is used in conjunction to stain cytoplasmic components, erythrocytes, and other structures. Gill's hematoxylin formula offers advantages in terms of clarity and speed when performing stains in pathology, especially during procedures such as bone marrow biopsies which are diagnostic tests of a sample of red bone marrow, part of the cardiovascular system.