Which purpose are mounting media used for?
Microscope slide preparations are examined normally in some kind of liquid, in case they are not liquid themselves. Usually, water is used for this purpose. However, since water evaporates quite fast, the preparations keep in a good condition only for a short time. To prevent them to be spoiled, you can use mounting media. These mounting media are colourless, viscous solutions which solidify within a short time and preserve the preparation for a long time. This is how you can examine your valuable preparations in all their brilliance and high quality even after several years.