What is the primary use of methyl benzoate in histopathology?

Methyl benzoate is primarily used as a clearing agent in histopathology. Its role as a clearing agent is crucial in the process of preparing tissue specimens for microscopic examination. After tissue sections are embedded in a paraffin medium, the embedding medium must be removed, and this is where methyl benzoate becomes valuable, as it has the ability to dissolve the paraffin, thereby allowing the specimen to be rehydrated and stained appropriately.

Clearing agents like methyl benzoate are pivotal in ensuring that the tissue is adequately prepared for staining, which enhances the contrast and visibility of cellular features under a microscope. This process ultimately helps histopathologists achieve clearer and more precise diagnoses. While methyl benzoate is not used as an embedding medium, staining agent, or fixative, its role as a clearing agent makes it an essential component in the preparation workflow of histologic analysis.