A natural dye obtained from logwood that is used to stain tissue samples for medical examination under a microscope.
From Greek haima (blood) + xylon (wood), because the dye comes from the heartwood of the logwood tree and produces deep blood-red and purple colors. First used in microscopy in the 1700s.
Hematoxylin has been staining tissue samples for medical diagnosis for over 300 years, and pathologists still use it today! When oxidized to hematein and paired with a mordant, it creates those stunning purple-blue stains that make cell nuclei visible in textbooks.
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