|
Medical Definition of Dye exclusion test
1. A test to determine cell viability in which a dilute solution of certain dyes (e.g., trypan blue, eosin Y, nigrosin, Alcian blue) is mixed with a suspension of live cells; cells that exclude dye are considered to be alive while cells that stain are considered dead; it is not always an accurate test because it indicates only the structural integrity of the cell membrane. (05 Mar 2000)