Staining Flashcards
PREPARATION OF SPECIMENS
FOR LIGHT MICROSCOPY
BACTERIAL STAINING
PURPOSE OF STAINING
- Observe and appreciate the
appearance of microorganism - Differentiate one microorganism or group
of microorganism from another - Identification of microorganisms and their
special structures
cationic dyes with positively charged (pentavalent nitrogen) that adhere to the negatively charged molecules
Basic Dyes
Example of BASIC DYES
Crystal Violet, Methylene Blue
Malachite Green and Safranin
anionic dyes with negatively charged groups
(carboxyl and phenolic) that bind to positively
charged cell structures
Acidic dyes
Example of ACIDIC DYES
Eosin, Acid Fuchsin and Nigrosin
(TRUE OR FALSE)
Bacteria are slightly negatively charged at pH 7
TRUE
kills the microorganisms and fixes them to the slide
FIXING
preserves various parts of microbes in their natural
state with only minimal distortion
FIXING
Example of FIXING
a. Heat-fixed
b. Methanol Fixation
95% Methanol for I minute
Methanol Fixation
preserves morphology of host
cells, bacteria
Methanol Fixation
especially useful for examining
bloody specimen material
Methanol Fixation
Three kinds of staining techniques:
- SIMPLE
- DIFFERENTIAL
- SPECIAL
single stain is used
SIMPLE STAINS
highlight the entire microorganism so that
cellular shapes and basic structures are visible
SIMPLE STAINS
stain is applied to the fixed smear for a certain
length of time and then washed off, dried and
examined
SIMPLE STAINS
Example of SIMPLE STAINS
Methylene Blue
Carbolfuchsin
Crystal Violet
Safranin
react differently with different kinds of
bacteria and thus can be used to
distinguish them
DIFFERENTIAL STAINS
Example of DIFFERENTIAL STAINS
Gram Stain
Acid-Fast Stain
classifies bacteria into two large group
Gram-positive
Gram-negative
retain the dye and remain
purple
Gram-positive cells
do not retain the dye; they are
colorless until counterstained with a red dye
Gram-negative cells
chemically bond the alkaline dye to the
bacterial cell wall
MORDANT