Textbook Question
What is the purpose of a counterstain in the acid-fast stain?
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Ch. 3 - Observing Microorganisms Through a Microscope
Tortora14th EditionMicrobiology: An IntroductionISBN: 9780138200398
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Table of contents
- Ch. 1 - The Microbial World and You18
- Ch. 2 - Chemical Principles20
- Ch. 3 - Observing Microorganisms Through a Microscope18
- Ch. 4 - Functional Anatomy of Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells21
- Ch. 5 - Microbial Metabolism20
- Ch. 6 - Microbial Growth20
- Ch. 7 - The Control of Microbial Growth20
- Ch. 8 - Microbial Genetics19
- Ch. 9 - Biotechnology & DNA Technology20
- Ch. 10 - Classification of Microorganisms15
- Ch. 11 - The Prokaryotes: Domains Bacteria and Archaea14
- Ch. 12 - The Eukaryotes: Fungi, Algae, Protozoa, and Helminths17
- Ch. 13 - Viruses, Viroids, and Prions20
- Ch. 14 - Principles of Disease and Epidemiology21
- Ch. 15 - Microbial Mechanisms of Pathogenicity19
- Ch. 16 - Innate Immunity: Nonspecific Defenses of the Host20
- Ch. 17 - Adaptive Immunity: Specific Defenses of the Host20
- Ch. 18 - Practical Applications of Immunology20
- Ch. 19 - Disorders Associated with the Immune System19
- Ch. 20 - Antimicrobial Drugs19
- Ch. 21 - Microbial Diseases of the Skin and Eyes21
- Ch. 22 - Microbial Diseases of the Nervous System19
- Ch. 23 - Microbial Diseases of the Cardiovascular and Lymphatic Systems20
- Ch. 24 - Microbial Diseases of the Respiratory System20
- Ch. 25 - Microbial Diseases of the Digestive System20
- Ch. 26 - Microbial Diseases of the Urinary and Reproductive Systems19
- Ch. 27 - Environmental Microbiology20
- Ch. 28 - Applied and Industrial Microbiology19
Tortora14th EditionMicrobiology: An IntroductionISBN: 9780138200398Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 3, Problem 5
Which of the following is not a functionally analogous pair of stains?
a. Nigrosin and malachite green
b. Crystal violet and carbolfuchsin
c. Safranin and methylene blue
d. Ethanol-acetone and acid-alcohol
e. All of the above pairs are functionally analogous.
Verified step by step guidance1
Step 1: Understand what 'functionally analogous stains' means. These are pairs of stains that serve similar purposes in microbiological staining techniques, such as both being primary stains, counterstains, or decolorizers in different staining protocols.
Step 2: Analyze each pair individually by identifying the role of each stain in common staining methods. For example, nigrosin is a negative stain used for background staining, while malachite green is typically a primary stain in spore staining.
Step 3: Compare the functions of the stains in each pair: determine if both stains are used similarly (e.g., both as primary stains, both as counterstains, or both as decolorizers).
Step 4: For the pair involving ethanol-acetone and acid-alcohol, recognize that both are decolorizing agents but used in different staining protocols (ethanol-acetone in Gram staining and acid-alcohol in acid-fast staining), so they are functionally analogous as decolorizers.
Step 5: Based on the functional roles identified, determine which pair does not share similar staining functions, thus identifying the pair that is not functionally analogous.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Functionally Analogous Stains
Functionally analogous stains perform similar roles in microbiological staining procedures, such as acting as primary stains, counterstains, or decolorizers. Understanding their function helps differentiate between types of stains and their purpose in highlighting cellular structures.
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Functional Groups
Types of Stains in Microbiology
Common stains include basic dyes like crystal violet and methylene blue, acidic dyes like nigrosin, and special stains like carbolfuchsin. Each stain has a specific affinity for cellular components, influencing how cells or structures appear under a microscope.
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04:11Reviewing the Types of Staining
Decolorizing Agents in Staining
Decolorizers such as ethanol-acetone and acid-alcohol remove stains from certain cell types or structures during differential staining. Their role is critical in distinguishing between different bacterial groups, like Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.
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04:57Gram Stain
Related Practice
Textbook Question
Why is a mordant used in the Gram stain? In the flagella stain?
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Textbook Question
Which of the following pairs is mismatched?
a. Capsule—negative stain
b. Cell arrangement—simple stain
c. Cell size—negative stain
d. Gram stain—bacterial identification
e. None of the above
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Textbook Question
The maximum magnification of a compound microscope is (a) ________; that of an electron microscope, (b) ________. The maximum resolution of a compound microscope is (c) ________; that of an electron microscope, (d) ________. One advantage of a scanning electron microscope over a transmission electron microscope is (e) ________.
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Textbook Question
Looking at the cell of a photosynthetic microorganism, you observe the chloroplasts are green in brightfield microscopy and red in fluorescence microscopy. You conclude:
a. Chlorophyll is fluorescent
b. The magnification has distorted the image
c. You’re not looking at the same structure in both microscopes
d. The stain masked the green color
e. None of the above
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Textbook Question
Calculate the total magnification of the nucleus of a cell being observed through a compound light microscope with a 10x ocular lens and an oil immersion lens.
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