A term for a group of metachromatic basic blue methylthionine or phenothiazine dyes; used as biologic stains, especially in blood and nuclear stains.
- a. A [C.I. 52005] asymmetric dimethylthionine chloride; a blue dye used as a component of MacNeal tetrachrome blood stain and of Romanowsky-type blood stains; also used as a stain for mucins, nucleic acid s, and mast cell granules; gives a metachromatic violet to red color to highly acidic substances in tissues.
- a. B [C.I. 52010] trimethylthionine chloride; a blue dye used like a. A; also as a. B bromide to give metachromatic staining of RNA and DNA.
- a. C [C.I. 52002] monomethylthione chloride; a blue-violet thiazin dye used in the metachromatic staining of mucins and cartilage.
- a. II a mixture of a. I and methylene blue; the eosinate, a. II-eosin, is the principal ingredient of Giemsa stain.
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azure 'azh-ər n any of several dyes used as biological stains
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az·ure (azhґər) any of the partially methylated homologues of the series of basic dyes extending from thionine to methylene blue or to certain mixtures of members of this series. They are metachromatic and are used in many important staining procedures.Medical dictionary. 2011.