Which stain is excellent for highlighting elastic fibers in tissue sections?

The choice of orcein as the stain that excellently highlights elastic fibers in tissue sections is well-founded. Orcein is a specific dye that binds effectively to elastic fibers, allowing for their visualization under a microscope. These fibers are crucial components of connective tissues, playing a vital role in providing elasticity and structural support to various organs.

When orcein is applied to tissue sections, it imparts a characteristic brown to reddish-brown color to the elastic fibers, making them easily distinguishable against the background of other tissue components. This property is particularly useful in histopathological studies where it is important to assess the integrity and distribution of elastic fibers, which can have implications in various diseases and conditions, such as vascular disorders and skin diseases.

In contrast, while some of the other stains have applications in histopathology, they do not target elastic fibers specifically. For example, Victorian blue stains collagen rather than elastic fibers, methylene blue is a general stain that highlights nucleic acids and various cellular components, and Langhan's iodine is typically used to detect starch or glycogen rather than elastic components. Therefore, orcein is the superior choice for highlighting elastic fibers in tissue sections.