Which of the following stains is generally used for the diagnosis of tuberculosis?

Understand the Problem

The question asks which staining method is commonly used in the diagnosis of tuberculosis.

More Information

The acid-fast stain is a differential stain used to identify acid-fast organisms, mainly bacteria such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which have cell walls containing mycolic acid.

Tips

A common mistake is confusing the different types of stains and their specific uses in microbiology. Remembering that the acid-fast stain is specifically designed to detect bacteria with mycolic acid in their cell walls, like Mycobacterium tuberculosis, can help avoid this confusion.

Sources

• Acid-Fast Bacillus (AFB) Testing - testing.com
• Acid-fast stain - medlineplus.gov