top of page

Method 1

We made a request to the Mediterranean Marine Mammal Tissue Bank in order to send us histological preparations of beluga whale’s tissue.

 

Then we proceeded to estimate the number of melanocytes in the histological preparation of Arctic’s beluga whale tissue comparing it to the histological preparation of Russia’s beluga whale tissue.

 

In this step we proceeded to an estimate of total amount of melanocytes in the Arctic’s and Russia’s beluga whales.

 

 

 

Method 2

In this method, we asked to Murmansk Marine Biological Institute and the Internatioal Arctic Research Center that when it comes down to the coast a dead beluga whale to send us a piece of tissue so we can study the number of melanocytes. To do it we have to make some histological preparations using the Fontana-Masson technique to see the melanin layer.

 

Fontana-Masson method for melanin

1- Fixation with formalin

2- Sections

3- Preparation of silver solution

4- Take test and control section to distilled water

5- Treat with the silver solution

6- Wash well in several changes of distilled water

7- Treat sections with aqueous sodium thiosulfate for 1 minute

8- Wash well with running water

9- Lighty counterstain in aqueous red for 5 minutes

10- Rinse in distilled water

11- Dehydrate, clear, and mount in a synthetic resin

 

 

 

bottom of page