Labels, Dyes, Stains and Indicators

Dyes, stains, labels, and indicators are all integral tools in the laboratory. Dyes, for example, can be used to track the movement of DNA or RNA down an agarose gel visually. Stains can be used in various microbiological assays as well as in histological applications. Indicators are useful for measuring or setting pH of solutions. Finally, labels are used extensively in fluorescent microscopy and purification techniques.