Regarding staining, why aren both acidic and basic dyes taken up by proteins?
Answer Hi Samantha The basic principle of staining in tissues is that the acidic dyes combine with basic substances and basic dyes combine with acidic substances. Therefore nucleic acids are stained by basic dyes (alkaline and postively charged) and nucleoproteins and cytoplasmic proteins are stained by acidic dyes. In the nucleus however nucleic acids being more in quantity the staining by acidic dyes (which attaches to nucleoprotein) is not apparent Many studies have been done to study the effect of dyes on tissues. It has been found that when both acid and basic dyes are used there is a specific pH at which the acidic dye stains the nucleus and at a pH higher than that basic dyes attaches to nucleus.
Related Questions
- Haematoxylin (basic stain) dyes acidic components of cells and eosin (acidic stain) dyes basic components of cell. Is staining an effect of acid-base neutralising reaction?
- For the gram staining similar to the basic dyes like methylene blue or haematoxylin which dyes the basophilic composition blue?
- Why are acidic dyes called acidic dyes, and basic dyes called basic dyes?
