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Why gram positive cells are able to retain the crystal violet but gram negative retain safranin?

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Answer:

The answer is the thickness of the peptidoglycan layer.

Step-by-step explanation:

Gram-positives have a simple cell wall with a thick layer of peptidoglycan which fixates the crystal-violet and KI complex while gram-negatives don't. Then when the destaining is done with alcohol, the gram-negatives are washes while the gram-positives are permanently stained. The last step is staining the gram-negatives with safranin which will happen but it will not be washed, and also it will not fixate in gram-positives.

User Roger Alien
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