What are the different types of mounting media?

There are two main types of mounting media: water based (aqueous/hydrophilic/non-adhesive) and organic solvent based (resinous/hydrophobic/adhesive). Water based media are further classified as water soluble mounting media that solidify and water soluble mounting media that remains liquid. Organic solvent based are further classified as natural and synthetic.

There is a wide variety of commercial and home-made mounting media available. Different mounting media are used for electron microscopy, immunofluorescence slides and ground sections. Choosing the right mounting medium can prevent your specimen from drying out, preserve its integrity for long-term storage. Choose the refractive index closely match that of the glass slide for high-quality, high-magnification imaging.