Medical Definition of Periodic acid Schiff reaction
1.
A histochemical technique based on periodic acid oxidation of a substance containing the 1,2-glycol grouping.
It is used for staining carbohydrates as the resulting dialdehyde reacts with Schiff reagent to form a coloured product.
The adjacent hydroxyl groups are oxidized to form aldehydes by periodic acid (HIO4) and these aldehyde groups react with Schiff's reagent (basic fuchsin decolourised by sulphurous acid) to give a purple colour.
Acronym: PAS
This entry appears with permission from the Dictionary of Cell and Molecular Biology
(11 Mar 2008)
Lexicographical Neighbors of Periodic Acid Schiff Reaction
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