Question

What is the role of ethidium bromide in DNA samples?

Answer 1

Hint: DNA stands for Deoxyribonucleic Acid. It is a genetic material that carries all the hereditary information.
A DNA sample is either a person’s blood or a swab that is required to submit in the forensic labs for the identification purposes.

Complete Answer-
Ethidium Bromide is a dye that is most commonly used for the detection of DNA and RNA in gels. It is an intercalator of DNA, which inserts itself between the double helix of DNA base pairs. The maximum absorbance of ultraviolet rays is at (300 and 360nm) and an emission maximum at (590 nm) for the ethidium bromide. The detection limit is bound to detect the DNA is 0.5-5.0ng/band.
Uses –
1. It is added to visualize the DNA fragments more clearly in the gel or in the electrophoresis buffer.
2. Binding of this dye to DNA samples changes their mass and rigidity and hence we say it changes the mobility of the DNA samples.
3. By adding this, the single DNA molecule is observed in gel electrophoresis.
4. It is a fluorescent due and gives an orange color and identifies 20 folds of after binding with the DNA.

Note:
Ethidium bromide is stain or due that is used for the nucleic acids which gives fluorescence in the presence of ultraviolet rays. It is available in the dry form or powder form in the markets and easily soluble in water. It is dark red or purple.
It is very harmful for our body. It causes eye irritation, irritation in skin and respiratory system when it enters the body through inhalation. When handling ethidium bromide proper personal protective equipment is worn. Always kept in a cool, dark place and in the tightly closed container, when it is not in use.