Neutral Red (or toluylene red, Basic Red 5, or C.I. 50040) is a eurhodin dye used for staining in histology. It stains lysosomes red. It is used as a general stain in histology, as a counterstain in combination with other dyes, and for many staining methods. Together with Janus Green B, it is used to stain embryonal tissues and supravital staining of blood. Can be used for staining Golgi apparatus in cells and Nissl granules in neurons.
Neutral red can be used as a vital stain, to stain living cells. It is used to stain cell cultures for plate titration of viruses.
Neutral Red is added to some growth media for bacteria and cell cultures. It usually comes as a chloride salt.
Neutral Red acts as a pH indicator, changing from red to yellow between the pH 6.8-8.0.
Famous quotes containing the words neutral and/or red:
“The lonely Earth amid the balls
That hurry through the eternal halls,
A makeweight flying to the void,
Supplemental asteroid,
Or compensatory spark,
Shoots across the neutral Dark.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“I know a little garden-close
Set thick with lily and red rose,
Where I would wander if I might
From dewy dawn to dewy night,”
—William Morris (1834–1896)