Correlation Between A Cell And Its Background - 1264 Words

Introduction: When viewing live specimens with the microscope it can be very difficult to see. What makes slides hard to examine is the contrast between a cell and its background, which are both primarily water. In order to provide information and characteristics about the chemistry of a specimen a method called, staining is used to increase its differences. Stains/dyes are a salt that colors the ion it penetrates. There are two types of colors retrieved when staining; in a basic stain the color appears in the positively charged ion, while in an acidic stain the color is in the negatively charged ion. Examples of basic dyes include: methylene blue, crystal violet, and safranin. Generally, if a staining procedure only uses one†¦show more content†¦The three bacterial specimens used were: Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Staphylococcus aureus. Materials: - Microscope slides - Kem Wipes - Broth of Escherichia coli - Broth of Staphylococcus aureus - Broth of Bacillus subtilis - Inoculating loop - Bunsen Burner - Rope connector for Bunsen Burner - Test tube rack - Wax pencil - Stain (methylene blue) - Compound Microscope - Clothes pin Procedure: 1. First and most importantly, hands and work area were sanitized with antiseptic and paper towel. 2. Collected all the materials needed, stated above, and placed them in the work area. 3. Cleaned a microscope slide with a Kem Wipe to avoid bacteria lingering in the air or fingerprints being seen on it, and continued by adding one or two drops o f distilled water on to the slide. 4. On the opposite side of the slide drew a circle, with the wax pencil, for indication on where the bacteria were being placed. 5. Assembled Bunsen burner and turned it on so that the flame observed on the inner portion was light blue and outer portion was dark blue. 6. Once the desired flame was seen, sterilized the loop by placing it on a 45ÌŠ angle so that the entire piece of metal was sterilized. Waited until the loop turned a red/orange color, then removed it and allowed the loop to cool off. 7. Made sure to keep the loop, slide, and specimens a couple inches near the flame in order to keep them sterile. 8. Removed the broth of Bacillus subtilis from