Annexin V Apoptosis Detection Kit is based on the observation that soon after initiating apoptosis, cells translocate the membrane phosphatidylserine (PS) from the inner face of the plasma membrane to the cell surface. Once on the cell surface, PS can be easily detected by staining with a fluorescent conjugate of Annexin V, a protein that has a high affinity for PS. The one-step staining procedure takes only 10 minutes. Detection can be analyzed by flow cytometry or by fluorescence microscopy. The kit can differentiate apoptosis vs necrosis when performing both Annexin V-FITC and PI staining.