Acridine orange

Acridine orange is a dye used in scientific research, particularly in biology, for studying cells. It has several key properties that make it useful for this purpose:

• Nucleic acid selective: Acridine orange binds specifically to nucleic acids, which are the building blocks of DNA and RNA. This makes it a valuable tool for visualizing and studying these essential molecules within cells.
• Fluorescence: Acridine orange is a fluorescent dye, meaning it emits light when excited by a specific wavelength of light. The color of the emitted light depends on what the dye is bound to. This allows scientists to differentiate between DNA and RNA based on the emitted light.
• Cell permeability: Acridine orange can easily pass through the cell membrane, allowing it to interact with the nucleic acids inside the cell.

These properties make acridine orange a versatile tool for various applications in cell biology, including:

• Cell cycle determination: By observing the staining patterns of DNA and RNA with acridine orange, scientists can determine the stage of a cell within its cycle.
• Cell viability assessment: Acridine orange can differentiate between live and dead cells. Live cells with intact membranes will take up the dye, while dead cells with compromised membranes will not.
• Microscopy and flow cytometry: Acridine orange is commonly used in these techniques to visualize and analyze cells based on their nucleic acid content.

Overall, acridine orange is a valuable tool for researchers studying cells and their inner workings.