One of your lab partners has followed the recommended procedure of running Gram-positive and Gram-negative control organisms on her Gram stain of an unknown species. Her choices of controls were Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. She tries several times and each time concludes she is decolorizing too long because both controls have pink cells (one more than the other). What might you suggest she try and why?
One of your lab partners has followed the recommended procedure of running Gram-positive and Gram-negative control organisms on her Gram stain of an unknown species. Her choices of controls were Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. She tries several times and each time concludes she is decolorizing too long because both controls have pink cells (one more than the other). What might you suggest she try and why?
Basic Clinical Laboratory Techniques 6E
6th Edition
ISBN:9781133893943
Author:ESTRIDGE
Publisher:ESTRIDGE
Chapter7: Basic Clinical Microbiology
Section7.4: The Gram Stain
Problem 2RQ
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A popular method used to separate two large groups of bacteria, depending on the different components of the cell wall, is called gram staining. A thick cell wall consisting of a protein called peptidoglycan is the characteristic feature of gram-positive bacteria. Gram-negative bacteria, on the other hand, have a delicate layer of peptidoglycan situated between an internal cell membrane and an external membrane. By rendering these gram-negative and gram-positive bacterial cells pink or violet, respectively, the Gram stain technique differentiates between gram-positive and gram-negative types.
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