Kinetics of formation of metallic silver and binding of silver ions by tissue components
- 1 January 1979
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Nature in Histochemistry and Cell Biology
- Vol. 64 (1), 87-96
- https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00493357
Abstract
Summary The effect of time on the formation of metallic silver by tissue reducing groups follows a curve which can be devided into three main parts. In the first, which may last for several hours, the reaction is very slow, and only an undetectably small amount of metallic silver is produced. In the second period the speed of the reaction first increases in a progressive manner and then begins to decrease gradually; during the third period the speed approaches zero asymptotically. Binding of the silver ions by the tissue commences initially at its fastest rate; the level then decreases steadily to zero within about a quarter of an hour. There is no direct relationship between the amount of silver ion bound to the tissue and the formation of metallic silver. The latter cannot take place by way of direct (non-catalysed) reaction. The following mechanism is proposed for the process: Transfer of electrons from the reducing molecules to the silver ions is mediated at first by certain tissue sites (catalytic points) and then also by the steadily increasing total surface area of the metallic silver grains (autocatalysis). On the basis of this mechanism, several anomalies of both the argentaffin and argyrophil reactions are explained.Keywords
This publication has 20 references indexed in Scilit:
- Chemical nature of the first products (nuclei) of the argyrophil stainingActa Histochemica, 1980
- Simultaneous determination of the amounts of metallic and ?reducible? silver in histologic specimensHistochemistry and Cell Biology, 1979
- MODIFICATIONS OF THE SILVER METHENAMINE TEST FOR THE ULTRASTRUCTURAL DEMONSTRATION OF CYSTINE-CONTAINING PROTEINSJournal of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry, 1972
- The electron histochemistry of cystine—containing proteins in thin transverse sections of human hairJournal of the Royal Microscopical Society, 1968
- AN IMPROVED SILVER METHENAMINE TECHNIQUE FOR THE DETECTION OF PERIODIC ACID-REACTIVE COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES WITH THE ELECTRON MICROSCOPEJournal of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry, 1967
- THE PREFERENTIAL DEMONSTRATION OF DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID BY A PERIODIC ACID-SILVER DIAMINE METHOD FOR LIGHT AND ELECTRON MICROSCOPYJournal of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry, 1965
- SILVER IMPREGNATION OF ULTRATHIN SECTIONS FOR ELECTRON MICROSCOPYThe Journal of cell biology, 1961
- METAL REDUCTION REACTIONS OF THE MELANINS: HISTOCHEMICAL STUDIESJournal of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry, 1957
- ARGENTAFFIN AND SCHIFF REACTIONS AFTER PERIODIC ACID OXIDATION AND ALDEHYDE BLOCKING REACTIONSJournal of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry, 1954
- Silver staining of nerve axons in paraffin sectionsThe Anatomical Record, 1943