Whole Mounts of Rabbit Lens Epithelium for Cytological Study

The eye globe is cut equatorially just posterior to the equator and the anterior part fixed in acetic-acid:akohol (1:3) for 24 hours. After washing, the lens is removed, hydrolyzed, and stained by the Feulgen technic. In the SO₂ wash solution, the lens epithelium is dissected free of the lens in one piece under a binocular microscope and laid on a cover slip, cell side down. It is flattened, after radial incisions, by absorbing water around the edge, and inverted on to a drop of glychrogel on a slide. Cell and nuclear structure are observed with the aid of phase contrast.