What is the primary stain for the Ziehl-Neelson acid fast stain? What color is this stain? What cells will display this stain once you finish the stain and view your slide?

Basic Clinical Laboratory Techniques 6E
6th Edition
ISBN:9781133893943
Author:ESTRIDGE
Publisher:ESTRIDGE
Chapter7: Basic Clinical Microbiology
Section7.4: The Gram Stain
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**Educational Content: Ziehl-Neelsen Acid Fast Stain**

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**Question:**

What is the primary stain for the Ziehl-Neelsen acid fast stain? What color is this stain? What cells will display this stain once you finish the stain and view your slide?

**Answer:**

In the Ziehl-Neelsen acid fast stain procedure, the primary stain used is carbol fuchsin. This stain imparts a reddish-pink color to acid-fast bacteria. Cells that are not acid-fast will generally appear blue or green, depending on the counterstain used (commonly methylene blue or brilliant green). The acid-fast cells, which include bacteria such as Mycobacterium species, retain the red color of carbol fuchsin even after decolorization with an acid-alcohol solution. 

By completing this staining procedure and examining your slide under a microscope, you should be able to identify and differentiate between acid-fast bacteria (which will appear reddish-pink) and non-acid-fast cells (which will appear blue or green).

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This explanation helps illustrate the use and outcome of the Ziehl-Neelsen acid fast stain in a microbiological context, aiding in the identification of specific bacterial types based on their staining properties.
Transcribed Image Text:**Educational Content: Ziehl-Neelsen Acid Fast Stain** --- **Question:** What is the primary stain for the Ziehl-Neelsen acid fast stain? What color is this stain? What cells will display this stain once you finish the stain and view your slide? **Answer:** In the Ziehl-Neelsen acid fast stain procedure, the primary stain used is carbol fuchsin. This stain imparts a reddish-pink color to acid-fast bacteria. Cells that are not acid-fast will generally appear blue or green, depending on the counterstain used (commonly methylene blue or brilliant green). The acid-fast cells, which include bacteria such as Mycobacterium species, retain the red color of carbol fuchsin even after decolorization with an acid-alcohol solution. By completing this staining procedure and examining your slide under a microscope, you should be able to identify and differentiate between acid-fast bacteria (which will appear reddish-pink) and non-acid-fast cells (which will appear blue or green). --- This explanation helps illustrate the use and outcome of the Ziehl-Neelsen acid fast stain in a microbiological context, aiding in the identification of specific bacterial types based on their staining properties.
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