Paraformaldehyde is primarily used in biological and biomedical research for fixing cells and tissues. When dissolved in a buffer like PBS (phosphate-buffered saline) to make a 4% solution, its main function is to crosslink proteins within cells and tissues. This fixation process preserves cellular morphology and prevents degradation, enabling various microscopic techniques such as immunostaining and microscopy for detailed analysis of cellular structures and protein localization.
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