Used primarily as a staining agent in biological and biochemical research to detect cellular dehydrogenase activity. It is commonly applied in assays to measure cell viability and metabolic activity, where it gets reduced to a colored formazan product in the presence of active enzymes. This property makes it valuable in microbiology, histology, and cytotoxicity studies. Additionally, it serves as an indicator in plant physiology research to assess seed viability and germination potential. Its ability to provide visual and quantitative data on enzymatic activity makes it a crucial tool in laboratory diagnostics and experimental biology.