Description : A commonly used test of the viability of cells in tissue culture is whether or not they exclude a supravital dye such as toluidine blue. If the cells exclude the dye, they are considered to be viable. What is the biochemical basis of this test?
Last Answer : The membranes of all living cells are selectively permeable to ions and other chemical species. This selectivity is in many cases linked to the supply of ATP, and one feature of cell death is a low ... of ATP. In this state, the cell no longer excludes foreign compounds, such as toluidine dye.