What is the Difference Between Ethidium Bromide and Bromophenol Blue?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚Ethidium bromide and bromophenol blue are both used in laboratory settings, but they have different properties and applications. The key differences between ethidium bromide and bromophenol blue are:
- Fluorescence: Ethidium bromide is a fluorescent dye, while bromophenol blue is a non-fluorescent dye.
- Intercalating Agent: Ethidium bromide is an intercalating agent, which means it inserts itself between the nitrogenous bases of DNA. Bromophenol blue is not an intercalating agent.
- Usage: Ethidium bromide is mainly used as a nucleic acid stain in molecular biology and agarose gel electrophoresis. Bromophenol blue is used as a pH indicator, an electrophoretic color marker, and a dye.
- Loading Dye: Bromophenol blue is used as a loading dye, which helps visualize the sample being loaded into a gel. Ethidium bromide is not used as a loading dye.
In summary, ethidium bromide is a fluorescent intercalating agent primarily used as a nucleic acid stain, while bromophenol blue is a non-fluorescent dye used as a pH indicator, color marker, and loading dye.
Comparative Table: Ethidium Bromide vs Bromophenol Blue
Here is a table highlighting the differences between Ethidium Bromide and Bromophenol Blue:
Property | Ethidium Bromide | Bromophenol Blue |
---|---|---|
Function | Fluorescent dye, intercalating agent | pH indicator, electrophoretic color marker, dye |
Chemical Formula | C21H20BrN3 | Not provided |
Molar Mass | 394.29 g/mol | Not provided |
Appearance | Purple-red solid | Not provided |
Melting Point | 260-262°C | Not provided |
Fluorescence | Fluoresces with an orange color when exposed to UV light | Non-fluorescent |
Uses | Mainly used as a nucleic acid stain in molecular biology and agarose gel electrophoresis | Useful as an electrophoretic color marker and a dye |
Toxicity | Highly toxic, powerful mutagen | Non-toxic |
Ethidium Bromide is a fluorescent dye that intercalates with nucleic acids, making it useful as a stain in molecular biology and agarose gel electrophoresis. On the other hand, Bromophenol Blue is a pH indicator and non-fluorescent dye that is useful as an electrophoretic color marker and a dye.
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