key term - Acid-fast stain
Definition
Acid-fast stain is a differential staining technique used to identify acid-fast bacteria, such as Mycobacterium species. It differentiates bacteria based on the properties of their cell walls.
5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test
- Acid-fast stain primarily identifies Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis.
- The Ziehl-Neelsen method and the Kinyoun method are two common techniques for performing an acid-fast stain.
- Acid-fast bacteria retain the primary stain (carbol fuchsin) even after being treated with a decolorizing agent (acid-alcohol).
- Non-acid-fast cells will lose the primary stain when decolorized and will take up the counterstain (methylene blue or brilliant green).
- The high mycolic acid content in the cell walls of acid-fast bacteria is responsible for their staining characteristics.
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