Fixation is the process of securing cells to a slide. Specimens can be fixated to a slide via two mechanisms: heat or chemical. Heat fixations briefly heat a smear, while chemical utilizes chemicals such as acetic acid, ethanol, and methanol. Both methods aim to kill the microorganisms present in order to stop their movement and metabolism.

Fixation 

Prior to fixation, a specimen needs to be smeared onto a microscope slide. The smear ensures the sample is spread into a thin layer, allowing the different cells and structures to be viewed with little to no overlap. 

There are two ways to prepare specimens for light microscopy:
- wet mount 
- fixation

Specimen Preparation 

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Wet mount is a way of preparation that entails having a drop of liquid containing the specimen, on the slide,. For example, it can be water or dye added to a dry specimen or an already liquid specimen, like a broth or urine sample.

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