Problem
I. Explain why it is necessary to prepare heat fixed smears before staining.
II. What are the differences between basic stains and acidic stains? Give 2 examples each of basic and acidic stains.
III. Fill in the results and the inferences on the table below based on your lab Gram stain results Morphology, Color of bacterial cells after Gram stain, characteristic of the following:
i. Escherishia coli
ii. Staphylococcus aureus
iii. Bacillus megaterium
IV. Describe how Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial cell walls differ in structure and then explain how the differences influence to their Gram staining characteristics?
V. List the reagents needed for the Gram stain technique in order of use, and explain the role of each reagent in the staining process.
VI. List the reagents needed for the Acid-fast stain technique in order of use, and explain the role of each reagent in the staining process.