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What is a primary stain?

Updated: 8/10/2023
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14y ago

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If your talking about Acid Fast staining (aka Ziehl-Neelsen staining), after the addition of the primary stain (carbol fuchsin) heat is applied in order to facilitate proper staining. Bacteria such as Mycobacterium contain large amounts of lipid substances within their cell wall called mycolic acids. These acids resist staining by ordinary methods such as gram staining (where heat is not applied after primary staining). On application of heat, the stain carbol fuschin penetrates the cell wall and stains the cells pink. Following the secondary staining (methylene blue) the acid fast positive cells appear pink while others are stained blue.

Endospore staining is yet another staining technique where heat is applied after primary staining (malachite green). In this case the spores are impermeable to stains, hence heating favours proper permeation of stain. Endospores appear green while vegetative cells appear red (secondary stain saffranine).

Not all staining procedures involve applying heat after primary staining. However, heat is applied before even beginning the staining procedure. This is called heat fixing, where the cells are fixed so that they are not washed away during the subsequent washing steps.

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11y ago
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9y ago

There are many different purposes of staining depending on the situation. Medical staining helps to show DNA and it's components.

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14y ago

To colorize & enhance trasparent bacteria, which show cell shape & arrangement.

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14y ago

colors the cell making it easier to see.

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11y ago

to make the wood look good and shiny.so the furniture stands out

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9y ago

The primary stain is the stain that will actually stain what you want to see. In the case of the Gram stain, that is the particular structure of the cell wall of the Gram positive bacteria.

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11y ago

the primary stain simply stains the bacterial cell

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14y ago

what is the function of a primary stain

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12y ago

it stains the cells purple

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Q: What is a primary stain?
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Why is it essential that the primary stain and the counterstain be of contrasting colors?

It is essential that primary stain and the counterstain be of contrasting colors so that the target of the primary stain can easily be differentiated on a contrasting background.


What type of dye is used to stain the specimen when the acid-fast stain and the gram stain are used?

Both processes use 2 stains. The Gram staining process uses crystal violet as the primary stain and safranin as the secondary stain. Acid-fast staining uses carbol fuchsin as the primary and methylene blue as the secondary.


What is the purpose of crystal violet in the Gram's stain procedure?

Its the primary stain of the procedure. IT stains the Gram positive organisms


Assume that during the performance of this exercise you made several errors in your spore staining procedure?

Assume that during the performance of this exercise you made several errors in your spore-staining procedure. In each of the following cases indicate how your microscopic observations would differ from those observed when the slides were prepared correctly . A. you used acid-alcohol as the decolorizing agent . B. you used safranin as the primary stain and malachite green as the counterstain C. you did not apply heat during the application of the primary stain · A. Normally tap water is used as the decolorizing agent to wash off excess stain. When you use acid-alcohol, it decolorizes the cells and the stain is removed. · B.When you use safranin as the primary stain and malachite green as the secondary stain, the cells will stain green and the spores will stain red. · C.When heat is not applied during the application of the primary stain, the spores are not stained and they appear colorless.


What if You did not apply heat during the application of the primary stain?

if you didnt apply heat or Clorox, then the stain would not go away completely and we all don't want that!

Related questions

Why is it essential that the primary stain and the counterstain be of contrasting colors?

It is essential that primary stain and the counterstain be of contrasting colors so that the target of the primary stain can easily be differentiated on a contrasting background.


What mordant is used in spore staining?

Heat is the mordant used in the spore stain, it fixes the primary stain.


What is the importance of iodine after primary stain?

Iodine work as a modrant which helps in fixing the stain properly by making a compled compoun of stain and cell wall.


What type of dye is used to stain the specimen when the acid-fast stain and the gram stain are used?

Both processes use 2 stains. The Gram staining process uses crystal violet as the primary stain and safranin as the secondary stain. Acid-fast staining uses carbol fuchsin as the primary and methylene blue as the secondary.


What is the purpose of the crystal violet in the gram stain procedure?

Its the primary stain of the procedure. IT stains the Gram positive organisms


What is the purpose of crystal violet in the Gram's stain procedure?

Its the primary stain of the procedure. IT stains the Gram positive organisms


What is the secondary stain in gram stain procedure?

It is crystal violet & stains all cells purple.


How do you take stain out of antique baby dress?

Simply you can use some stain removal that available in markets. Or try hot water. Hot water is primary good stain removal process.


Assume that during the performance of this exercise you made several errors in your spore staining procedure?

Assume that during the performance of this exercise you made several errors in your spore-staining procedure. In each of the following cases indicate how your microscopic observations would differ from those observed when the slides were prepared correctly . A. you used acid-alcohol as the decolorizing agent . B. you used safranin as the primary stain and malachite green as the counterstain C. you did not apply heat during the application of the primary stain · A. Normally tap water is used as the decolorizing agent to wash off excess stain. When you use acid-alcohol, it decolorizes the cells and the stain is removed. · B.When you use safranin as the primary stain and malachite green as the secondary stain, the cells will stain green and the spores will stain red. · C.When heat is not applied during the application of the primary stain, the spores are not stained and they appear colorless.


What if You did not apply heat during the application of the primary stain?

if you didnt apply heat or Clorox, then the stain would not go away completely and we all don't want that!


What is secondary and counter stain?

counterstains are selected to be contrasting color so that the target of the primary stain can easily be differentiated on a contrasting background. This makes life easier, when, for example you need to count the number of nuclei in a smear, or number of gram positive bacteria in a mixed population.


Why is counterstaining necessary when using a differential staning technique such as the gram stain?

The counter-stain allows you to see all the structures that were not stained with the primary stain. Without the counter-stain, all you would see is the purple-stained structures (nucleus, some cytoplasmic proteins), but you would have a difficult time observing the cell membrane and many cytoplasmic structures.