What is the distinguishing feature of a frozen section in histopathology?

A frozen section is a critical technique in histopathology used primarily for the rapid diagnosis of tissue specimens during surgical procedures. The distinguishing feature of a frozen section is that the tissue is cut at temperatures below freezing. This method preserves the cellular detail and morphology of the tissue, allowing for quick evaluation while the patient is still in surgery.

When tissues are subjected to freezing, they are typically embedded in a medium such as optimal cutting temperature (OCT) compound, which facilitates the freezing process before sectioning on a cryostat. This is in contrast to other methods, where the tissues are usually fixed in formalin and embedded in paraffin wax, requiring additional time for processing.

Freezing tissues allows for quicker turnaround times for pathologic examination, which is essential in situations where immediate results can influence surgical decisions. This is why option B accurately captures the essence of what characterizes frozen sections in histopathology.