Widely used in biological and biochemical research as a cell viability and cytotoxicity indicator. It serves as a substrate in dehydrogenase enzyme assays, where metabolically active cells reduce it to a colored formazan product, allowing quantification of cellular metabolic activity. Commonly applied in mitochondrial function tests and screening assays for drug efficacy or toxicity. Also utilized in plant physiology studies to assess tissue viability and root activity. Its colorimetric response makes it suitable for high-throughput screening in microplate formats.