Answer to Question #173970 in Microbiology for Min

Question

Can you differentiate Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria using simple staining procedure? Why?

Answer 1

During simple staining procedure, only a single staining dye is used during the process. A single dye stains all the organisms in a sample to appear as one color even if they are different and with different features. In order to differentiate between the gram positive and gram negative bacteria, a differential stain must be utilize such as the gram staining procedure that uses two dyes, the crystal violet and safranin that differentiate the two based on the content of the peptidoglycan layer. In conclusion, simple staining cannot differentiate gram positive and gram negative bacteria.