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Guilherme Mazui

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What is the Difference Between Vital and Supravital Staining?

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Vital and supravital staining are two staining techniques used to examine living cells. The main difference between them is how the stain is applied and the cells' viability after staining.

Vital Staining:

  • Can be applied both in vivo (intravital staining) and in vitro.
  • In intravital staining, the stain is injected or introduced into the body.
  • Living cells stain negatively, and only dead cells stain positively, allowing for viability assessment.
  • Examples of vital stains include trypan blue, vital red, and Janus green.

Supravital Staining:

  • Can be applied only in vitro.
  • Living cells are removed from an organism and stained.
  • Staining is temporary in nature, as cells are alive and unfixed.
  • Examples of common supravital dyes include new methylene blue and brilliant cresyl blue.

In summary, vital staining can be done both in vivo and in vitro, while supravital staining is done only in vitro. In vital staining, living cells exclude the stain and only dead cells stain positively, allowing for viability assessment. In supravital staining, cells are removed from an organism and stained, with the staining being temporary in nature.

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  • What is the Difference Between Vital and Supravital Staining?
  • Comparative Table: Vital vs Supravital Staining

    • Comparative Table: Vital vs Supravital Staining

    Here is a table comparing vital and supravital staining:

    Feature Vital Staining Supravital Staining
    Definition Vital staining is a type of staining technique for living cells that can be applied both in vivo (intravital staining) and in vitro (supravital staining). Supravital staining is a type of vital staining that can be applied only in vitro, meaning the staining is done on living cells outside the body.
    Application Intravital staining is used for gastric mucosa, oral mucosa, and other in vivo applications. Supravital staining is used for leukocytes, nerve fibers, and nerve endings. Supravital staining is used for reticulocytes, making it possible to see the reticulofilamentous pattern of ribosomes characteristically.
    Dyes Stains used for intravital staining include toluidine blue, Lugol’s iodine, methylene blue, acetic acid, and rose bengal. Stains used for supravital staining include DIOC, Janus green stain, and Rhoda mine 123. New methylene blue and brilliant cresyl blue are used for reticulocyte staining.
    Toxicity Vital stains are generally less toxic, as they can be applied to living cells without killing them. Supravital stains may have a greater toxicity, as only a few cells need to survive the staining process for a short while.
    Permeability Vital stains can penetrate living cells without inducing immediate toxicity, allowing for diagnostic and surgical techniques in various fields. Supravital stains are temporary in nature, as the cells are alive and unfixed outside the body.

    Please note that this table is based on the information available in the search results.

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    Guilherme Mazui

    Guilherme Mazui is graduated in journalism from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and a master's degree in Communication from the University of São Paulo (USP). In addition, he has experience in advertising writing and has worked as a content editor in several companies.