Which of the following steps is not part of the dehydration process?

The dehydration process in histology involves several critical steps to remove water from biological tissues while preparing them for embedding in a medium such as paraffin. One of the key steps in this process is using a series of alcohol baths with increasing concentrations. This progression allows for the gradual replacement of water in the tissue with alcohol, which is essential for subsequent embedding.

Removing intracellular moisture is another fundamental aspect of dehydration, as it ensures that the tissue is adequately dried and prepared for further processing. Gradual heating of the tissue is also involved, as it assists in the removal of remaining water through evaporation.

Adding saline to the tissue, however, is not part of the dehydration process. Saline is primarily used in different contexts, such as for cell preservation, dilution, or to maintain tissue viability prior to processing, but it does not contribute to the dehydration of the tissue. Instead, saline would work against the goal of dehydration by adding moisture rather than eliminating it, making it the step that does not belong in the dehydration protocol.