What are the two basic ways to stain bacterial cells?
What is the purpose of a simple stain?
To color the cell so it is easier to view under a microscope. Ability to see cellular morphology and arrangement.
What is the purpose of a differential stain?
to enhance the visualization of unique characteristics of a particular species or group of species.
What step determines the identifying difference between the two groups?
The differential step
What kind of bacteria do not stain well will gram stain?
Acid-fast bacteria
What is an acid-fast stain?
Differential stain is used to differentiate bacteria that have a high concentration of mycolic acid in their cell walls.