Wet Mounts: Saline wet mount: Used to observe motile parasites and trophozoites. Simply uses a drop of saline with the specimen. Iodine wet mount: A drop of Lugol's iodine can be added to highlight the internal structures of parasites, such as nuclei and cyst walls. Permanent Stains: Trichrome stain: Commonly used for intestinal protozoa, especially amoebae and flagellates. Iron hematoxylin stain: Another stain used for intestinal protozoa. Modified acid-fast stain: Specifically designed for coccidia like Cryptosporidium and Isospora. Giemsa stain: Often used for blood parasites like Plasmodium (malaria) and Trypanosoma. Concentration Methods: Formalin-ethyl acetate concentration technique: Used to concentrate parasites from stool specimens. Zinc sulfate floatation: Another concentration technique. Other Reagents: Formalin: Used as a preservative for stool samples. Buffered glycerol: Used in the preparation of permanent slides. Potassium hydroxide (KOH): Can help clear specimens. Methylene blue: Can be used as a counterstain or to highlight certain structures. Phenol: Sometimes used in the preparation of certain stains or as a component of preservatives. Special Stains and Techniques: Auramine-rhodamine stain: Used for the detection of Cryptosporidium oocysts and other coccidia in stool. Silver stains (e.g., Warthin-Starry and Gomori's methenamine silver): For the visualization of certain tissue parasites. Serological tests: Some parasites can be detected by their antigens or the antibodies they induce in the host. Reagents for Fixation: Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fixative: Commonly used for preserving stool samples when subsequent staining is anticipated.