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Ethidium bromide (EtBr) is used to stain the DNA fragments and will appear as orange coloured bands when viewed under UV light.

1. Ethidium bromide dye is most commonly used for the detection of DNA/RNA. It is a DNA intercalating agent, inserting itself into the spaces between the base pairs of the double helix. It possesses UV absorbance maxima at 300 and 360 nm.
2. Ethidium bromide dye is used for the detection of proteins.
3. Ethidium bromide dye is used for the detection of lipids.
4. Ethidium bromide dye is used for the detection of carbohydrates.

Correct answer: Ethidium bromide dye is most commonly used for the detection of DNA/RNA. It is a DNA intercalating agent, inserting itself into the spaces between the base pairs of the double helix. It possesses UV absorbance maxima at 300 and 360 nm.

Solution

Ethidium bromide is a classic nucleic-acid stain because it intercalates into DNA and RNA, making them visible under UV light. That is why it is used to detect DNA/RNA fragments, not proteins, lipids, or carbohydrates.

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• The separated DNA fragments can be visualised only after staining the DNA with Ethidium bromide followed by exposure to UV radiation.

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