Which stain uses carbol fuchsin as the primary stain?

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Multiple Choice

Which stain uses carbol fuchsin as the primary stain?

This question targets staining methods that use carbol fuchsin as the primary stain, which is characteristic of the acid-fast technique used in Ziehl-Neelsen staining. In this method, heating with carbol fuchsin helps the red dye penetrate the waxy, mycolic-acid–rich cell wall of acid-fast bacteria. After washing, an acid-alcohol decolorizer removes the stain from non–acid-fast cells, while acid-fast organisms retain the red color. A counterstain (often methylene blue) then colors the background or non–acid-fast cells blue, making the acid-fast organisms stand out as bright red against a blue background. The other stains mentioned target different things: Grocott’s silver stain highlights fungi, Warthin-Starry is used for certain bacteria like spirochetes, and Prussian blue detects iron deposits.

This question targets staining methods that use carbol fuchsin as the primary stain, which is characteristic of the acid-fast technique used in Ziehl-Neelsen staining. In this method, heating with carbol fuchsin helps the red dye penetrate the waxy, mycolic-acid–rich cell wall of acid-fast bacteria. After washing, an acid-alcohol decolorizer removes the stain from non–acid-fast cells, while acid-fast organisms retain the red color. A counterstain (often methylene blue) then colors the background or non–acid-fast cells blue, making the acid-fast organisms stand out as bright red against a blue background. The other stains mentioned target different things: Grocott’s silver stain highlights fungi, Warthin-Starry is used for certain bacteria like spirochetes, and Prussian blue detects iron deposits.

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