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About Gram Stain: How stains and counterstains work (NEW) Virtual Lab Simulation
This short, targeted simulation is adapted from the full-length “The Gram Stain: Identify and differentiate bacteria” simulation.
Did you know that almost all 5 million-trillion-trillion bacteria in the world can be divided into Gram-negative or Gram-positive groups? Have you ever wondered how exactly the structural components of the cell wall get stained? Dive into the microscopic world and discover the colorful magic of Gram staining procedure!
Explore the bacterial cell wall structure
Compare and contrast the cell wall of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria by diving into their microscopic samples and observing how the cell wall structures retain certain reagents during the experiment. Discover how the four reagents of the Gram stain interact with structural components of the cell wall to color the bacteria.
Interpret given samples using a microscope
Being able to tell the difference, you will use a light microscope to interpret the results of a given Gram stain. View the microscopic image on the computer screen, and remember to apply immersion oil to increase magnification! Will you be able to identify the presence of bacteria?
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Techniques in Lab
- The Gram stain technique
- Light microscopy
Learning Objectives
- Relate the structure of bacterial cell envelopes to Gram stain outcomes
- Differentiate the gram positive and gram negative bacteria under the microscope
Simulation Features
Examples of Related Standards
Microbiology related 1st year
LS1.A
Biology 1.3: Membrane Structure
Biology 6.3: Defence from infectious disease
Biology Unit 2: Cell structure and function
Screenshots of Gram Stain: How stains and counterstains work (NEW) Virtual Lab Simulation
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