An overview of botanical clearing technique.

Clearing techniques are outlined with reference to their action on the chemical constituents of plant tissue. The most general technique would include pretreatment with solvents, dissolution of protoplasm, dissolution of other substances, bleaching, infiltration with a dense fluid, and staining. Extensive chemical changes go on during these steps and may prevent satisfactory clearing, an important example being the discoloration of phenolic compounds. Rational design of clearing methods for the chemically distinct cell types and tissue seems a likely future development.