Lab Report – Simple Staining

Name: Sig Pohan

Section: 005

1. What shape do you associate with these descriptions of microbes?

a. Bacillus- Rod shaped cells

b. Streptococcus- a chain of cocci, (chain)
c. Staphylococcus- Clusters of cocci, (spherical)

2. What is the purpose of heat fixing cells prior to observation under a microscope?
The purpose of heating fixing cells prior to observation under a microscope is to kill the
bacteria and other microbes and make the cells adhere to the slide. This is also important
when staining because it prevents the cells and avoid the detachment of the cells when
staining.

3. What differentiates a direct stain from an indirect stain?

In a direct stain, it mainly consists of positively charged colored ions which binds directly
to bacterial cells which are negatively charged. An indirect stain, is mainly acidic and
will not bind with negatively charged cells, therefore only stains the surroundings.

4. What color did the following stains impart of the specimens?

a. Crystal Violet- B. Megatherium (purple)

b. Methylene Blue- S. Typhimurium (blue)

c. Safranin- M. Luteus (red)

5. What shape did you observe of the following organisms?

a. S. typhimurium- chains of circular cells

b. M. luteus- clusters of circular cells

c. B. megatherium- strands of cells (rod chain)