Gram Lab
Gram Staining Lab
The Gram staining of bacteria is one of the most important tests in identifying specific bacterial strains, and is usually the first test performed when medical or research laboratories need to identify an unknown bacteria (Xu, 1997; AACC, 2011). Named for the inventor of the technique, Hans Christian Gram, Gram staining first came into use in Gram's own Danish medical and research practice in 1882, and became very widely known and used after the details of the technique were published in 1884 (Xu, 1997). Though some adjustments can be made to the original technique without losing effectiveness, the basic process of Gram staining has remained unchanged for over a century, and is as effective and essential a test today as it was in the latter half of the nineteenth century (Xu, 1997).
Simply put, the Gram staining test often (though not always) allows the researcher to determine the broad class of bacteria that an unknown species belongs to by using dyes and washes that are absorbed and retained differently by different bacteria (AACC, 2011). Crystal violet dye is the standard dye used in the first step of Gram stain...
Gram Stain Bacteria Identification Following standard procedure for Gram staining, a slide was prepared by heat fixing the sample and applying the primary crystal violet stain (Bruckner, 2012). After incubation in the primary stain for a period of one minute, the stain was rinsed under a slow stream of water for four seconds before fixing the remaining dye with Gram's iodine, with immersion in this mordant lasting one minute (Bruckner, 2012). Following
Microorganisms Through a Microscope The Gram stain test distinguishes two fundamental cell varieties of bacteria. The latter also determines the presence of bacteria. "Gram-positive" refers to the type that retains the original crystal violet stain. In contrast, the decolorized stain red depicts the "gram-negative" variety. The significance of the staining plays a crucial role in the determination of the appropriate treatment for an infection. Often, the clarity in distinguishing between
Treatment to Patients The main objective of providing treatment to patients is to relieve symptoms along with decreasing the progression of the disease as well as the mortality or morbidity. However, in some cases, this objective is not fully achieved, especially in the case of the patients who are admitted to the ICU with some serious and almost always a terminal stage of the disease. For example, when old patients
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now