Polymethines are compounds made up from an ''odd'' number of

methine In organic chemistry, a methine group or methine bridge is a trivalent functional group , derived formally from methane. It consists of a carbon atom bound by two single bonds and one double bond, where one of the single bonds is to a hydrogen. ...

groups (CH) bound together by alternating single and

double bond In chemistry, a double bond is a covalent bond between two atoms involving four bonding electrons as opposed to two in a single bond. Double bonds occur most commonly between two carbon atoms, for example in alkenes. Many double bonds exist betwee ...

s.Kachovski and Dekhtyar, ''Dyes and Pigments'', 22 (1983) 83-97. Compounds made up from an ''even'' number of methine groups are known as

polyenes In organic chemistry, polyenes are poly- unsaturated, organic compounds that contain at least three alternating double () and single () carbon–carbon bonds. These carbon–carbon double bonds interact in a process known as conjugation, result ...

Polymethine dyes

Cyanine Cyanines, also referred to as tetramethylindo(di)-carbocyanines are a synthetic dye family belonging to the polymethine group. Although the name derives etymologically from terms for shades of blue, the cyanine family covers the electromagnetic s ...

s are synthetic dyes belonging to polymethine group.

Anthocyanidin Anthocyanidins are common plant pigments, the sugar-free counterparts of anthocyanins. They are based on the flavylium cation, an oxonium ion, with various groups substituted for its hydrogen atoms. They generally change color from red through ...

s are natural plant pigments belonging to the group of the polymethine dyes. Polymethines are fluorescent dyes that may be attached to nucleic acid probes for different uses, ''e.g.'', to accurately count

reticulocyte Reticulocytes are immature red blood cells (RBCs). In the process of erythropoiesis (red blood cell formation), reticulocytes develop and mature in the bone marrow and then circulatory system, circulate for about a day in the blood stream before ...

References

Alkenes {{alkene-stub