[Histonet] decalcifying solutions for skeletochronology

[John Kiernan]

Dear Dr McCallum,

Every book in the field of histotechnology contains 
several recipes for decalcifying. The calcified material
can be removed by dissolving in a suitable acid (usually
hydrochloric or formic) or by chelation with a suitable
anion (usually citrate or EDTA). The choice of method is
based on the requirements of the investigation.

If you are in doubt about choosing a method, ask the
internet for references rather than recipes. 
There are scores of books and hundreds of papers! 
A solid place to start searxhing the literature is 
Pearse's Histochemistry.
 
John A. Kiernan MB, ChB, PhD, DSc
Professor, Dept of Anatomy & Cell Biology
The University of Western Ontario
London, Canada.
----------------------------
Malcolm McCallum wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> I am having some students do various skeletochronology projects with amphibians and reptiles.  I could just buy some decalcifying solution, but we have so many acids, I figured I would make some.  Any good recipes out there for decalcifying bone w/o heating?
> 
> Malcolm L. McCallum
> Assistant Professor
> Department of Biological Sciences
> Texas A&M University Texarkana
> 2600 Robison Rd.
> Texarkana, TX 75501
> O: 1-903-233-3134
> H: 1-903-791-3843
> Homepage: https://www.eagle.tamut.edu/faculty/mmccallum/index.html
>