Characteristics Of A Gram Stain Essay - 1556 Words

A gram stain is a type of differential stain, which means it allows distinction of one cell from another based on differential staining properties. The most widely used differential stain in microbiology is the gram stain. This technique separates bacteria into two groups: gram positive and gram negative. These are based on differences of the structure of the cell wall. Gram-positive cells stain purple, due to their thick peptidoglycan cell wall. Gram-negative cells will stain pink due to their thin peptidoglycan layer surrounded by a cell membrane that will not hold the crystal violet stain. After completing four different gram stains on my unknown bacteria, I found that my organism was gram negative due to the cells staining pink. I also discovered that my bacterium was rod shaped, and was in the arrangement of single cells or pairs of cells. So, this narrowed down my bacteria to be Citrobacter diversus, Escherichia coli, or Shigella sonnei since these are all gram-negative species . Kligler’s Iron Agar (KIA) Kligler’s Iron Agar can detect three primary characteristics of a bacterium: its ability to ferment lactose and glucose, its ability to produce gas from the fermentation of sugars, and the production of hydrogen sulfide (H2S). After my tube was inoculated it showed the results of completely yellow agar meaning my bacteria fermented both glucose and lactose, no bubble at the bottom meaning it produced no gas, and no black color meaning it did not ferment H2S. I wasShow MoreRelatedDiagnosis of an Infected Patient Essay1061 Words   |  5 PagesBacillus is a rod-shaped, endospore-forming, facultatively anaerobic and gram-positive bacterium (Tortora G2). The gram stain is fundamental to identify the characteristics of bacteria as this process differentiates organisms according to the cell wall structure. Gram-positive cells have a thick cell wall layer and will stain blue to purple. The Gram stain process requires four steps which include applying a primary stain, usually crys tal violet, to a heat-fixed smear, then adding a mordant, usuallyRead More Applying Staining Techniques to View and Identify Bacteria Essay693 Words   |  3 Pagesto identify different bacteria by simple, negative, and gram staining. To view each bacteria cell, the bacteria was transferred aseptically to a slide, and they were then viewed by using oil immersion, by a light microscope. From this lab, it was determined that E. coli and B. megaterium are gram negative and B. subtilis and S. Marcesans are gram positive. Introduction The purpose of this lab was to view the different characteristics of bacteria by applying various staining techniques. ItRead MoreDanish Physician Hans Christian Gram Stain, Escherichia Coli, And Unknown Colony1552 Words   |  7 Pages Gram Staining: Micrococcus leteus, Escherichia coli, and Unknown Colony Ethan Hinkle Microbiology Lab 3051, Section 001 Instructor: Harrison Taylor February 9, 2015 This report represents my individual effort. I did not receive or offer aid to anyone when performing this assignment, nor did I plagiarize any material. Signed: __________________________________________________________ INTRODUCTION In 1884, Danish Physician Hans Christian Gram was in the process of developing aRead MoreEssay on HS320 Microbiology Unit1 Assignment1302 Words   |  6 Pageselectron microscope, even though the specimen is not alive under this microscope.   Stains Apart from advances in microscopes to view what the un-aided eye cannot, there are stains that help differentiate between the type of bacteria, viruses, spores or even flagella. The most commonly used stains are the Simple stain, Differential stain which consists of Gram positive and negative and the Acid- fast stain. The Simple stain: Technique can be performed with basic dyes such as crystal violet or methyleneRead MoreWhat Are Bacteria And Other Organisms?1458 Words   |  6 Pages(Intrieri, 2014). In order to identify bacteria and other organisms, scientists have developed many different tests to differentiate microorganisms from each other their physical characteristics. There are many different physiological tests one can used to identify bacteria. For this project, one can use a spore stain to see if a bacteria can produce spores in response to nutrient depletion.(Intrieri, 2014) There is also the catalase tests, which show whether bacteria possesses the enzyme catalaseRead MoreGram, Gram And C. Gram895 Words   |  4 PagesGram’s Stain was discovered in 1882, but published in 1884 by a Danish Bacteriologist Doctor by the name of Hans Christian Gram. Gram stumbled upon this method while he was examining some lung tissue from patients that had died of pneumonia. While examining this lung tissue Gram discovered that certain stains were more favorable and retained by the bacterial cells. It was only a few years later that Gram produced a staining procedure that he divided into two groups. The two groups divided almostRead MoreUnknown Microbiology Lab Report Essay1128 Words   |  5 Pages36 Introduction The purpose of this lab was to identify two unknown bacteria from a mixed culture. The reason for identification of unknown bacteria was to help students recognize different bacteria through different biochemical tests and characteristics. This is important in the medical field because identification of unknown bacteria can help treat a patient by knowing the contributing source of a disease. Also knowledge of different bacteria helped others make antibiotics used today. ThisRead MoreGrain Staining1116 Words   |  5 Pagesexercise 4 was to understand the differential staining techniques: gram staining and special stain structures. Differential staining techniques are used to help identify microorganisms based on the morphology and its ability to accept the stains used. During the staining process the cells retaining the initial stain are positive, and the cells retaining the counter or secondary stain are considered to be negative. Differential stains are used to identify microo rganism based on metabolism, chemicalRead MoreTheory of Staining Techniques977 Words   |  4 Pagesdifferent internal structures such as vacuoles, cell walls and spores in details (Seeley and others 1991). Some staining techniques such as Gram staining, endospore stain and capsule stain are some of the theories of stains used in bacteriology today. Also, these staining procedures help in determining properties of an unknown culture. Gram staining is a differential stain that helps in distinguishing between types of bacteria and it is the most useful staining procedure used today (Seeley and others 1991)Read MoreBacillus Badius1212 Words   |  5 PagesRobert Suran May 1 2013 Microbiology Abstract Over a three week time span I was able to successfully identify an unknown microorganism by combining the results of several tests. The first test was the Gram stain test which showed the microorganism was Gram positive and rod shaped. Using an Unknown Identification Flowchart, I proceeded to inoculate a Starch plate. In week 2, I analyzed the Starch plate and was able to determine that the results for Starch Hydrolysis were negative