Chapter 2 Staining - Microbiology PDF

FIGURE 2.31 (a) A specimen can be heat-fixed by using a slide warmer like this one. (b) Another method for heat-fixing a specimen is to hold a slide with a smear over a microincinerator. (c) This tissue sample is being fixed in a solution of formalin (also known as formaldehyde). Chemical fix...

FIGURE 2.31 (a) A specimen can be heat-fixed by using a slide warmer like this one. (b) Another method for heat-fixing a specimen is to hold a slide with a smear over a microincinerator. (c) This tissue sample is being fixed in a solution of formalin (also known as formaldehyde). Chemical fixation kills microorganisms in the specimen, stopping degradation of the tissues and preserving their structure so that they can be examined later under the microscope. (credit a: modification of work by Nina Parker; credit b: modification of work by Nina Parker; credit c: modification of work by “University of Bristol”/YouTube) FIGURE 2.32 (a) These Bacillus anthracis cells have absorbed crystal violet, a basic positive stain. (b) This specimen of Spinoloricus, a microscopic marine organism, has been stained with rose bengal, a positive acidic stain. (c) These B. megaterium appear to be white because they have not absorbed the negative red stain applied to the slide. (credit a: modification of work by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; credit b: modification of work by Roberto Danovaro, Antonio Pusceddu, Cristina Gambi, Iben Heiner, Reinhardt Mobjerg Kristensen; credit c: modification of work by Anh-Hue Tu) FIGURE 2.33 Gram-staining is a differential staining technique that uses a primary stain and a secondary counterstain to distinguish between gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. FIGURE 2.34 In this specimen, the gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus retains crystal violet dye even after the decolorizing agent is added. Gram-negative Escherichia coli, the most common Gram stain quality-control bacterium, is decolorized, and is only visible after the addition of the pink counterstain safranin. (credit: modification of work by Nina Parker) FIGURE 2.35 (credit: modification of work by American Society for Microbiology) FIGURE 2.36 Ziehl-Neelsen staining has rendered these Mycobacterium tuberculosis cells red and the surrounding growth indicator medium blue. (credit: modification of work by American Society for Microbiology) FIGURE 2.37 (a) India-ink was used to stain the background around these cells of the yeast Cryptococcus neoformans. The halos surrounding the cells are the polysaccharide capsules. (b) Crystal violet and copper sulfate dyes cannot penetrate the encapsulated Bacillus cells in this negatively stained sample. Encapsulated cells appear to have a light-blue halo. (credit a: modification of work by American Society for Microbiology; credit b: modification of work by American Society for Microbiology) FIGURE 2.38 A stained preparation of Bacillus subtilis showing endospores as green and the vegetative cells as pink. (credit: modification of work by American Society for Microbiology) FIGURE 2.39 A flagella stain of Bacillus cereus, a common cause of foodborne illness, reveals that the cells have numerous flagella, used for locomotion. (credit: modification of work by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) FIGURE 2.40 (credit “basic stains”: modification of work by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; credit “Acidic stains”: modification of work by Roberto Danovaro, Antonio Dell’Anno, Antonio Pusceddu, Cristina Gambi, Iben Heiner, Reinhardt Mobjerg Kristensen; credit “Negative stains”: modification of work by Anh-Hue Tu) FIGURE 2.41 (credit “Gram stain”: modification of work by Nina Parker; credit “Acid-fast stain”: modification of work by American Society for Microbiology; credit “Endospore stain”: modification of work by American Society for Microbiology; credit “Capsule stain” : modification of work by American Society for Microbiology; credit “Flagella stain”: modification of work by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) FIGURE 2.42 (a) An ultramicrotome used to prepare specimens for a TEM. (b) A technician uses an ultramicrotome to slice a specimen into thin sections. (credit a: modification of work by “Frost Museum”/Flickr; credit b: modification of work by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region) FIGURE 2.43 (a) Living, unstained Treponema pallidum spirochetes can be viewed under a darkfield microscope. (b) In this brightfield image, a modified Steiner silver stain is used to visualized T. pallidum spirochetes. Though the stain kills the cells, it increases the contrast to make them more visible. (c) While not used for standard diagnostic testing, T. pallidum can also be examined using scanning electron microscopy. (credit a: modification of work by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; credit b: modification of work by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; credit c: modification of work by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) FIGURE 2.44 Indirect immunofluorescence can be used to identify T. pallidum, the causative agent of syphilis, in a specimen. EXERCISE 23 This file is copyright 2016, Rice University. All Rights Reserved.