26 Describe how fura 2 is used to measure levels of intracel

26: Describe how fura -2 is used to measure levels of intracellular calcium ions.

Answer:

Fura-2 AM is a calcium binding fluorescent dye. Once it enters the cell, it is deesterified by esterases inside the cell releasing active Fura-2 dye. This active form of the dye binds to free Ca2+ ions. Upon binding Ca2+, Fura 2 exhibits an absorption shift that can be observed by scanning the excitation spectrum between 300 and 400 nm