Ethanol Fixation
Definition
Preservation of killed insect specimens in 70-80% ethanol. The alcohol denatures proteins and prevents decay, maintaining morphological structure for months to years.
Related terms
- Chain of Custody
- The documented chronological record of who collected, handled, transferred, and examined a piece of evidence. For digital evidence, chain of custody includes...
- Hot-Water Killing
- The method of killing insect larvae by immersion in water at approximately 75-85 degrees C for 30-60 seconds before fixing in ethanol....
- Instar Determination
- Assigning a collected larva to first, second, or third instar based on body length, spiracle morphology, and mouthhook features. Instar determines which...
- Scene-to-Laboratory Transfer Record
- The portion of the chain of custody covering the movement of samples from the scene or mortuary to the receiving laboratory, including...
- Voucher Specimen
- A preserved specimen formally deposited in a collection or retained in the case file as a permanent reference. In forensic entomology, the...
Explained in
- Preservation, Labelling and Chain of CustodyPreservation of killed insect specimens in 70-80% ethanol. The alcohol denatures proteins and prevents decay, maintaining morphological structure for months to...