Section Lifter

Quick Answer: A section lifter is a small spatula-like instrument with a thin, flat blade set at an angle to its handle. It is used to lift thin tissue or plant sections out of water or stain and place them on a microscope slide without damage.

Moving Thin Sections Without Folding Them

Cutting a good section is only half the job. A slice a few cells thick is fragile and floppy, and trying to pick it up with forceps usually folds or tears it. The section lifter solves this by sliding its flat blade under the floating section, raising it with a film of water, and letting the student tip it off where it is needed.

The blade is typically offset from the handle so that the hand stays clear of the watch glass or water bath. In botany practicals it carries free-hand sections from the water they were cut into, through the stain and wash, and onto the slide. In histology work it is used to handle paraffin sections floated on warm water before they are picked up on slides.

The listing does not state the blade material or shape. Flexible metal blades suit very thin sections, while stiffer ones are easier for beginners to control.

Applications

• Transferring free-hand stem and root sections cut with a laboratory razor into safranin and then onto a slide
• Separating a floating paraffin ribbon into single sections on a water bath
• Turning a section over in a watch glass to check which face is flatter before mounting
• Moving stained sections through alcohol grades in college double-staining practicals

Care & Handling

• Rinse the section lifter immediately after staining work; stain left to dry on the blade is harder to remove and can transfer to the next section.
• Keep the blade straight and flat. A bent or nicked edge catches sections instead of sliding under them.
• Dry fully before storage and keep it with the fine instruments, away from heavy tools that can bend it.

Specifications

Why Choose LabEquip

Colleges and schools with a botany or histology practical usually keep several lifters per bench group, so sections move along without waiting. LabEquip lists this item in the Biology Lab Products range, close to the razor and the hand microtome it is used with. Share your bench count on the contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why not use forceps to move a section?

Forceps pinch a thin section at one point, and it folds or tears as it leaves the water. A lifter supports the whole section on a flat blade with a film of water underneath.

How do I get a section off the lifter onto the slide?

Place a drop of water or glycerine on the slide, touch the edge of the blade to it and tilt slightly. A fine brush can ease the section off while the liquid draws it flat.

Is the lifter useful for paraffin sections too?

Yes. It is used to separate and position paraffin sections floated on a warm water bath before they are picked up on a slide.

What is the difference between a section lifter and a spatula?

A lab spatula is thicker and made for scooping powders. The lifter has a thinner, flatter blade set at an angle, designed to slide under delicate floating sections.

Does the blade need rinsing between stains?

Yes, rinse it in water between liquids. Carrying stain on the blade into a wash or alcohol dish shortens the life of those solutions and can leave deposits on sections.

How many lifters does a practical class need?

One per pair of students works well for section-cutting practicals, so each pair can move its own sections from water through the stain to the slide.

Last Updated: September 2026