In: Biology
Explain the significance of a Gram reaction result from an infected wound swab?
The Gram stain involves applying a sample from an infected area or a sample of bacteria grown in culture onto a glass slide. The slide is then treated with a special stain and examined under a microscope by a trained laboratorian. The color and shape of the bacteria help classify which general types of bacteria are present.
The Gram stain is the most important staining procedure in microbiology. It is used to differentiate between gram positive organisms and gram negative organisms. Hence, it is a differential stain.
Gram negative and gram positive organisms are distinguished from each other by differences in their cell walls. These differences affect many aspects of the cell, including the way the cell takes up and retains stains.
If your gram stain results are negative, it means no bacteria were found in your sample. If they're positive, it means bacteria were present. Because of the staining technique used, gram-positive bacteria will appear purple under a microscope and gram-negative bacteria will appear pink.