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Staining
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<p>Staining is a technique used to enhance contrast in samples, generally at the <a href="/facts/Microscope/ldJp0CI3">microscopic</a> level. <a href="/facts/Stain/7VhlycN8">Stains</a> and <a href="/facts/Dye/a1NSlcsG">dyes</a> are frequently used in <a href="/facts/Histology/yrI90zlU">histology</a> (microscopic study of biological <a href="/facts/Tissue_(biology)/H7CpML7A">tissues</a>), in <a href="/facts/Cytology/kdIBGHub">cytology</a> (microscopic study of <a href="/facts/Cell_(biology)/bLM9UQvy">cells</a>), and in the <a href="/facts/Medical/2fnp90Je">medical</a> fields of <a href="/facts/Histopathology/9Eggjrg4">histopathology</a>, <a href="/facts/Hematology/DF6QqYQk">hematology</a>, and <a href="/facts/Cytopathology/za3sn0Jt">cytopathology</a> that focus on the study and <a href="/facts/Diagnoses/VcsPwshd">diagnoses</a> of <a href="/facts/Disease/55eeQlGL">diseases</a> at the microscopic level. Stains may be used to define <a href="/facts/Biological_tissues/H7CpML7A">biological tissues</a> (highlighting, for example, <a href="/facts/Muscle_fiber/cP7Jea3q">muscle fibers</a> or <a href="/facts/Connective_tissue/mal3fc7k">connective tissue</a>), <a href="/facts/Cell_(biology)/bLM9UQvy">cell</a> populations (classifying different <a href="/facts/Blood_cell/lf9GA0Dj">blood cells</a>), or <a href="/facts/Organelle/vhDFnGbs">organelles</a> within individual cells. </p><p>In <a href="/facts/Biochemistry/fa2pWEBp">biochemistry</a>, it involves adding a class-specific (<a href="/facts/DNA/nB89Iauz">DNA</a>, <a href="/facts/Protein/Jxmagu3E">proteins</a>, <a href="/facts/Lipid/TdQR87HX">lipids</a>, <a href="/facts/Carbohydrate/Geuuzxsf">carbohydrates</a>) dye to a substrate to qualify or quantify the presence of a specific compound. Staining and <a href="/facts/Fluorescent_tag/vKVEgb0v">fluorescent tagging</a> can serve similar purposes. Biological staining is also used to mark cells in <a href="/facts/Flow_cytometry/M2IvPdL8">flow cytometry</a>, and to flag <a href="/facts/Protein/Jxmagu3E">proteins</a> or <a href="/facts/Nucleic_acid/2tTgcI0v">nucleic acids</a> in <a href="/facts/Gel_electrophoresis/9J3GrsFk">gel electrophoresis</a>. Light microscopes are used for viewing stained samples at high magnification, typically using bright-field or epi-fluorescence illumination. </p><p>Staining is not limited to only biological materials, since it can also be used to study the structure of other materials; for example, the <a href="/facts/Lamellar/GtQ7hVIA">lamellar</a> structures of <a href="/facts/Semi-crystalline_polymer/hLNR2u5c">semi-crystalline polymers</a> or the domain structures of <a href="/facts/Block_copolymer/35D97DuV">block copolymers</a>. </p>