Paraffin wax is commonly used in histology to embed and section tissues for microscopic examination

However, paraffin has limitations, especially when it comes to hard tissues such as bone, teeth, andcartilage. These tissues require decalcification, which can cause shrinkage and distortion. Additionally,paraffin can cause artifacts and interfere with certain staining methods. Therefore, there is a need foralternative embedding materials that can overcome these limitations.One such alternative is glycol methacrylate (GMA), a resin that is commonly used in plastic embedding.GMA has several advantages over paraffin for cutting hard and soft tissues. Firstly, it does not requiredecalcification, which preserves the tissue structure and reduces shrinkage. Secondly, it produces sectionsthat are free of artifacts and have good contrast for staining. Thirdly, it allows for thin sections (۱-۲microns) to be cut, which is useful for examining fine structures.The process of embedding tissues in GMA involves dehydration, infiltration, and polymerization. Tissuesare first dehydrated in a series of alcohols, followed by infiltration with GMA monomers and a catalyst.The tissue is then polymerized by heating at a low temperature under vacuum. After polymerization, theblock of tissue and resin can be sectioned using a microtome.GMA has been used successfully to cut various types of hard and soft tissues, including bone, teeth,cartilage, muscle, and nerve. It has been shown to produce high-quality sections that are suitable forvarious staining methods, such as hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), Masson's trichrome, and toluidine blue.In conclusion, glycol methacrylate is a suitable alternative to paraffin for cutting hard and soft tissues inhistology. It offers several advantages over paraffin, including preservation of tissue structure, absence ofartifacts, and the ability to produce thin sections. Researchers should consider using GMA for tissues thatrequire decalcification or for those that are difficult to section with paraffin.