New methylene blue
Encyclopedia
New methylene blue is an organic
staining agent
used in diagnostic cytopathology
and histopathology
, typically for staining immature red blood cells
. It is closely related to methylene blue
, an older stain already in wide use.
New methylene blue is toxic. Skin contact or inhalation should be avoided.
Organic compound
An organic compound is any member of a large class of gaseous, liquid, or solid chemical compounds whose molecules contain carbon. For historical reasons discussed below, a few types of carbon-containing compounds such as carbides, carbonates, simple oxides of carbon, and cyanides, as well as the...
staining agent
Staining (biology)
Staining is an auxiliary technique used in microscopy to enhance contrast in the microscopic image. Stains and dyes are frequently used in biology and medicine to highlight structures in biological tissues for viewing, often with the aid of different microscopes...
used in diagnostic cytopathology
Cytopathology
Cytopathology is a branch of pathology that studies and diagnoses diseases on the cellular level. The discipline was founded by Rudolf Virchow in 1858. A common application of cytopathology is the Pap smear, used as a screening tool, to detect precancerous cervical lesions and prevent cervical...
and histopathology
Histopathology
Histopathology refers to the microscopic examination of tissue in order to study the manifestations of disease...
, typically for staining immature red blood cells
Reticulocyte
Reticulocytes are immature red blood cells, typically composing about 1% of the red cells in the human body.Reticulocytes develop and mature in the red bone marrow and then circulate for about a day in the blood stream before developing into mature red blood cells. Like mature red blood cells,...
. It is closely related to methylene blue
Methylene blue
Methylene blue is a heterocyclic aromatic chemical compound with the molecular formula C16H18N3SCl. It has many uses in a range of different fields, such as biology and chemistry. At room temperature it appears as a solid, odorless, dark green powder, that yields a blue solution when dissolved in...
, an older stain already in wide use.
New methylene blue is toxic. Skin contact or inhalation should be avoided.