Feulgen Reaction

The Feulgen Reaction is a method for determining the presence of DNA in the cell nucleus, which was developed in 1924 by the German biologist Robert Feulgen. This method is one of the most common and accurate ways to determine the presence of DNA in cells.

The Feulgen reaction procedure begins with the preparation of a tissue section, which is then hydrolyzed with dilute hydrochloric acid. This leads to protein denaturation and DNA hydrolysis in the cell nucleus. The section is then treated with Schiff's reagent, which interacts with the deoxyribonucleotides remaining in the cell nucleus, forming a stable complex.

As a result of this reaction, deoxyribonucleotides in the cell nucleus turn a deep purple color. At the same time, the color of the stain depends on the amount of DNA in the cell.

The Feulgen reaction has many applications in biological research. It can be used to determine the DNA content of various cell types, as well as to study cell cycle characteristics and DNA mutations.

In addition, the Feulgen reaction method is an important tool for diagnosing diseases associated with DNA disorders, such as cancer and genetic disorders.

Thus, the Feulgen reaction is an important method in biological research, which allows one to determine the presence of DNA in cells and use this information to diagnose and study diseases.



The Feulgen Reaction is one of the most common methods for determining the presence of DNA in cells. The method was developed by German biologist Robert Feulgen in 1914 and remains an important tool for cell biology research.

The basic idea of ​​the Feulgen reaction is to use Schiff's reagent to stain DNA in the cell nucleus. To do this, before starting the experiment, the tissue is cut off and subjected to hydrolysis with dilute hydrochloric acid. This step is necessary to remove major protein components that may interfere with DNA detection.

Next, the fabric is treated with Schiff's reagent, which contains fuchsin or its derivatives. In the presence of DNA, Schiff's reagent forms a stable complex with filamentous DNA molecules, which ultimately results in the formation of a purple color.

The degree of color depends on the amount of DNA in the cell, which makes the Feulgen reaction sensitive and accurate and allows it to be used for quantitative DNA analysis.

The Feulgen reaction is widely used in medicine, biology and genetics to determine the DNA content in various types of cells. This method can be used, for example, to study malignant tumors, where changes in the amount of DNA may indicate the presence of cancer cells. It can also be useful for studying the genome of various organisms and detecting mutations and genetic changes.

Thus, the Feulgen reaction is an important tool for the study of cell biology and genetics, which allows one to determine the presence and amount of DNA in a cell. Due to its sensitivity and accuracy, this method continues to be popular among researchers around the world.



Feulgen's reaction for determining DNA in cells. Fölgegens substance is a solution consisting of several components. The ultimate goal is to detect and measure the amount of DNA in tissue. The basic method for cell preparation is based on the fixation procedure described in section 3.3.1.

When a tissue sample is opened and diluted with a large amount of acid, it breaks down the collagen present in the tissue matrix to release cells that can be used for analysis. Some studies evaluate tissue fixation using optical microscopy, others evaluate the presence of cell viability in the material after the fixative effect of the drug. Finally, in the case of cryohistology, cells are fixed under subnuclear conditions such as freeze-scanning.

After fixation, unfixed cells are stained with acid detergent Schiff reagents. Iodine or toluidine blue staining may accompany the Föhl reaction