Staining

Question 1

What is a stain?

Answer 1

Stains are coloured chemicals that bind to molecules in/on the specimen to make it easier to see

Question 2

What are the two different type of stain and how are they different?

Answer 2

Simple stain - One stain used
Differential Stain- Two or more stains used in order to differentiate between cell types or organelles.

Question 3

Typical exam question: why is staining used when preparing specimens to be examined under a microscope?

Answer 3

1. Increase contrast (so different parts of cell can be distinguished)
2. to identify difference between cells
3. to identify differences between organelles