What are the principle of acid fast staining?

Principle of Acid-Fast Stain When the smear is stained with carbol fuchsin, it solubilizes the lipoidal material present in the Mycobacterial cell wall but by the application of heat, carbol fuchsin further penetrates through lipoidal wall and enters into cytoplasm. Then after all cell appears red.

What are the principle of acid-fast bacilli?

The mycobacterial cell wall contains mycolic acids, which are fatty acids that contribute to the characteristic of “acid-fastness.” The principle of the AFB smear is based on the fact that mycolic acid in the cell wall of AFB render them resistant to decolorization with acid alcohol.

What are the 3 main steps of an acid fast stain?

Acid-Fast Staining Instructions

• Air dry and heat fix a thin film of microorganisms.
• Flood the slide with Carbolfuchsin.
• Flood slide with Acid Alcohol for 30 seconds.
• Counterstain by flooding the slide with Methylene Blue for 30 seconds.
• Dry the slide by putting it between the pages of a book of Bibulous paper.

What is the meaning of acid-fast?

Acid fastness is a physical property that gives a bacterium the ability to resist decolorization by acids during staining procedures. This means that once the bacterium is stained, it cannot be decolorized using acids routinely used in the process.

What is the purpose of the acid fast stain quizlet?

What is the purpose of an Acid-Fast stain? It is a differential stain used to detect cells capable of retaining a primary stain when treated with an acid alcohol.

How do the acid fast staining technique relate to the Gram staining technique?

The main difference between Gram stain and acid fast stain is that Gram stain helps to distinguish bacteria with different types of cell walls whereas acid-fast stain helps to distinguish Gram-positive bacteria with waxy mycolic acids in their cell walls.

What is the purpose of the heat during the acid fast staining procedure?

During the acid fast stain, heat is used as a mordant to allow the primary stain to penetrate the waxy mycolic acid layer. The heat will prevent the cells from being destained using acid-alcohol.

Why is the acid fast stain used in medical settings?

This means that once the bacterium is stained, it cannot be decolorized using acids routinely used in the process. This important and unique feature of certain bacteria gives the ability to classify and detect them using relatively easy laboratory procedures such as microscopy.

What method did we employ in performing the acid fast stain?

To perform the acid-fast stain, a heat-fixed smear is flooded with the primary stain carbol fuchsin, while the slide is heated over a steaming water bath. The heat “melts” the waxy cell wall and permits the absorption of the dye by the cells.

What is the purpose of the acid-fast stain quizlet?

What is the meaning of acid fast?