answersLogoWhite

0


Best Answer

Most likely nothing. The gram stain will only stain the peptidoglycan cell wall of bacteria. Most viruses have a protein coat called a capsid. The capsid will not take up either the crystal violet or the safranin of a Gram stain.

User Avatar

Wiki User

15y ago
This answer is:
User Avatar
More answers
User Avatar

Wiki User

12y ago

No we cannot due to virus does not have a cell wall

This answer is:
User Avatar

Add your answer:

Earn +20 pts
Q: What happens if you use gram stain on a virus?
Write your answer...
Submit
Still have questions?
magnify glass
imp
Continue Learning about Natural Sciences

What does gram negative on a serratia marcescens gram stain mean?

Bacteria are gram positive or gram negative. Serratia happens to be a gram negative bacteria. They appear pink on a gram stain. Gram positive bacteria stain to a purple color on a gram stain. We can classify and ID bacteria using their gram stain and shape. Some antibiotics only work on gram negative bacteria and some only work on gram positive bacteria. It helps a doctor know which antibiotic to use.


Can you tell an organisms gram stain by simple staining?

Gram stain is not a simple stain because simple stains do not use two or more stains. Gram stain is a differential stain differentiating between Gram positive (blue-black) and Gram negative (pink-red).


What is stain negative?

To heighten the contrast between viruses and the background, use is made of electron-dense "stains". These are usually compounds of heavy metals of high atomic number, that serve to scatter the electrons from regions covered with the stain. If virus particles are coated with stain (positive staining), fine detail may be obscured. Negative staining overcomes this problem by staining the background and leaving the virus relatively untouched. The negative stain is moulded round the virus particle, outlining its structure, and is also able to penetrate between small surface projections and to delineate them. If there are cavities within the virus particle that are accessible to the stain, these will be revealed and some of the internal structure of the virus may be disclosed.


What is gram staining used to distinguish?

The first stain is crystal violet, next iodine is added which acts as a mordent. Then, alcohol is added which will wash away the purple color from any gram negative bacteria. The purple color will stay in the gram positive bacteria due to their thich peptidoglycan layer. Lastly, Safranin is added as a counter stain. Gram - is red Gram + is purple


Why would bacteria stain gram variable?

A gram-negative cell will lose its outer membrane and the peptidoglycan layer is left exposed. or it is best to use younger cells ( 12-24hr) because older gram positive bacteria are subject to break down of the cell wall by enzymes that are produced with age which may result ingram variable staining.

Related questions

What happens when you only use counter stain gram positive?

poop


What is the gram stain for the west nile virus?

There is no Gram stain for the rabies virus - it does not pick up either the stain or the counter-stain and has no official Gram stain status like bacteria do. When scientists are looking at slides of brains to see if an animal was infected with rabies, they use a special immunofluorescent stain made of antibodies against the rabies virus linked to either a vividly colored pigment or a fluorescent pigment. If the rabies virus is present, the antibodies in the stain adhere to the viral particles and then the pigment becomes fixed to the tissue as well, allowing the pathologist to "see" the virus (actually just that the virus is present and approximately where it is at - the virus is too small to see with a standard light microscope).


What does gram negative on a serratia marcescens gram stain mean?

Bacteria are gram positive or gram negative. Serratia happens to be a gram negative bacteria. They appear pink on a gram stain. Gram positive bacteria stain to a purple color on a gram stain. We can classify and ID bacteria using their gram stain and shape. Some antibiotics only work on gram negative bacteria and some only work on gram positive bacteria. It helps a doctor know which antibiotic to use.


Why can't you use the gram stain on the pathogens?

Which pathogens can't you use the gram stain on? Some pathogens are gram negative such as Tuberculosis. Others are gram positive. Those you can stain with the gram stain. The differences have to do with the structure of the outer membrane. Not all pathogens are gram negatives. Staph and strep are gram positive. People die from Strep infections.


What is the use of Iodine in gram stains?

The iodine in the gram stain serves as a mordant or fixative.


Can you tell an organisms gram stain by simple staining?

Gram stain is not a simple stain because simple stains do not use two or more stains. Gram stain is a differential stain differentiating between Gram positive (blue-black) and Gram negative (pink-red).


What are the uses of the gram stain technique scientifically speaking?

Gram stains are used to analyze bacteria and determine their characteristics. The most popular use of a gram stain is to determine the thickness of a cell wall in bacteria.


Why do you use iodine to stain a cell?

Iodine stains starch contained in cells. Iodine is also used to distinguish between Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria. The Gram stain contains iodine.


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 stain negative?

To heighten the contrast between viruses and the background, use is made of electron-dense "stains". These are usually compounds of heavy metals of high atomic number, that serve to scatter the electrons from regions covered with the stain. If virus particles are coated with stain (positive staining), fine detail may be obscured. Negative staining overcomes this problem by staining the background and leaving the virus relatively untouched. The negative stain is moulded round the virus particle, outlining its structure, and is also able to penetrate between small surface projections and to delineate them. If there are cavities within the virus particle that are accessible to the stain, these will be revealed and some of the internal structure of the virus may be disclosed.


What is gram staining used to distinguish?

The first stain is crystal violet, next iodine is added which acts as a mordent. Then, alcohol is added which will wash away the purple color from any gram negative bacteria. The purple color will stay in the gram positive bacteria due to their thich peptidoglycan layer. Lastly, Safranin is added as a counter stain. Gram - is red Gram + is purple


What is the purpose of control test in gram stain?

Gram staining is a simple staining test that simply identifies the two main groups of bacteria. Gram positive, and gram negative. Down a microscope, gram pos look like a dark blue/purple colour, and gram neg look red. It is to do with what the wall of the bacteria comprises of, and without going into too much detail, certain drugs work on gram pos bacteria, and others wont. Likewise for gram neg.