What is the color of the capsule in the capsule stain?

Answer 1

When a stain, such as an acid dye, cannot penetrate the outer layers of a microbe, the cell will appear transparent on a colored background. This stain is called a negative or background stain. It is performed by mixing the dye with a suspension of bacteria on a slide and spreading the mixture into a thin layer for viewing. The capsule is a structure surrounding the cell wall that certain bacteria can produce. The ability to form a capsule is genetically and environmentally controlled. Only those microbes with the genes for capsule production have the potential to manufacture this polysaccharide (or polypeptide) surface layer. Special nutrients or other growth factors often are necessary for the genes to be expressed. The role of the capsule is primarily for protection of the bacteria. For example, the capsule affords a seal against dehydration. Many capsules repel white blood cells and thus allow pathogenic invading bacteria to elude one of the primary host defenses. Capsules are not readily stained and therefore are visualized by negative stain techniques. The organisms are prepared as a smear in the presence of an acid dye and allowed to air dry because heat will cause the capsule to shrink. Our procedure will combine a negative stain (which colors the background) and a simple stain to color the bacterial cell. The capsule appears as a colorless layer between the bacterium and the background.

Answer 2

its red & yellow.