Used in histology to stain basement membranes in tissue samples, enhancing their visibility under microscopy. The silver binds selectively to components of the basement membrane, providing high contrast against surrounding tissue. This staining technique is particularly valuable in diagnosing diseases affecting renal glomeruli, muscular walls of blood vessels, and epithelial tissues. It aids in identifying structural abnormalities such as thickening, splitting, or disruption of basement membranes in conditions like diabetic nephropathy, Alport syndrome, and certain skin blistering disorders. The method is also applied in research settings to study extracellular matrix composition and tissue architecture.