It is essential that the steps of the Gram stain are completed in the correct order for staining results to be accurate. Complete the following statements to predict the consequence of each of the following errors made during the Gram staining procedure.
NOTE: to earn full credit, please provide a complete explanation for why you predict the color that you indicate, including what happened within the cells during the staining process.
If you accidentally reversed the order of crystal violet and safranin (i.e. reagents in this order: safranin, iodine, decolorizer, crystal violet)...
- Gram-positive cells would appear ________(color) because
- Gram-negative cells would appear _________(color) because
If you accidentally reversed the order of iodine and decolorizer (i.e. reagents in this order: crystal violet, decolorizer, iodine, safranin)...
- a. Gram-positive cells would appear ________(color) because
- b. Gram-negative cells would appear ________(color) because
If you saw large, eukaryotic cells in the preparation made from your gumline, they were your own epithelial cells. These epithelial cells should have stained pink. Given what you know about the Gram stain mechanism, explain why this staining outcome makes sense for these cells.