'Wright's stain' is a technique in
histology that is used to make the differences between cells visible under light microscopy. It is used in the examination of
peripheral blood smears and
bone marrow aspirates.
'Wright's stain' is also used in
cytogenetics to stain chromosomes on slides for visualization and diagnosis of sydromes and disease.
It is named for
James Homer Wright, who devised the stain, a modification of
the
Romanowsky stain, in 1902. Because it distinguishes easily between blood cells, it became widely used for performing differential
white blood cell counts, which are routinely ordered when infections are expected, and as part of an assessment of overall health.
There are related stains known as the 'buffered Wright stain', the 'Wright-Giemsa stain', and the 'buffered Wright-Giemsa stain', and specific instructions depend on the solutions being used, which may include
Eosin Y,
Azure B, and
Methylene Blue (some commercial preparations combine solutions to simplify staining). The
May-Grünwald stain, which produces a more intense coloration, also takes a longer time to perform.
White blood cells stained with Wright's stain:
 monocyte‎ |  lymphocyte‎ |  basophil‎ |  eosinophil‎ |  neutrophil‎ |
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