You perform an endospore stain on an unknown culture and onl

You perform an endospore stain on an unknown culture and only observe pink cells. Can you conclude definitively that this is not an endospore forming bacteria? Explain

Solution

A differential staining technique is used in endospore satining pricedure where vegetative cells are differentiated from endospores. Primary stain malachite green is used to stain endospores . This dye gets locked into the cell wall. Now water is used as the decolouriser and then secondary stain safranin is added. All vegetative cells will appear pink now but endospores will be seen as pink as they retain their primary stain.

So the slides that do not appear green indiCates the absence of endospores completely.