Crystal Violet is a triarylmethane dye essential for laboratory staining protocols.
Key Uses of Crystal Violet
It serves as the primary stain in Gram staining to differentiate Gram-positive from Gram-negative bacteria by binding to cell walls. In cell biology, it quantifies adherent cells and biofilms by staining nuclei and membranes.
Properties of Crystal Violet
This synthetic dye exhibits antibacterial and antifungal activity, historically used as a topical antiseptic, though now mainly for research. It also acts as a pH indicator and protein stain in electrophoresis.
