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List the reagents used for acid-fast staining:

a. Primary dye
b. Decolorizer
c. secondary dye"

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Final answer:

Acid-fast staining uses carbolfuchsin as the primary dye, an acid-alcohol solution as the decolorizer, and methylene blue as the secondary dye. The Ziehl-Neelsen and Kinyoun techniques are two methods employing these reagents, with the main difference being the use of heat.

Step-by-step explanation:

The acid-fast staining is a differential staining technique used to identify acid-fast bacteria, such as those causing tuberculosis. The reagents used in acid-fast staining include:

  1. Primary dye: carbolfuchsin, which is used to stain acid-fast cells due to its affinity for the waxy mycolic acid present in their cell walls.
  2. Decolorizer: an acid-alcohol solution, typically ethanol or an acetone/ethanol mixture, is used to decolorize non-acid-fast cells.
  3. Secondary dye: methylene blue acts as a counterstain, coloring non-acid-fast cells blue, allowing for differentiation between acid-fast and non-acid-fast cells.

The two main techniques for acid-fast staining are the Ziehl-Neelsen technique, which involves heat, and the Kinyoun technique, which does not require heat.

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