Tissues embeded in paraffin wax - 2 yes/no question- can't understand or get idea online! help plz plz (May/11/2010 )

Tissue specimens are commonly embedded in paraffin wax..

does Paraffin wax preserve the sample integrity?

does paraffin enhance the uptake of basophilic stains??

Well the first one should be easy... do people mount tissues in paraffin? If so, why?...

What is the first thing you do before staining? (hint: it involves xylene), so what would be the answer to your question?