Final answer:
Staphylococcus epidermidis is positive for Gram staining, negative for the acid-fast staining, and negative for the spore stain, making option 1 the correct answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
When conducting Gram stain, acid-fast stain, and spore stain on Staphylococcus epidermidis, the results would be as follows:
- Positive for Gram stain: Staphylococcus epidermidis is a Gram-positive bacterium, which means it retains the crystal violet dye used in the Gram staining procedure, appearing purple under the microscope.
- Negative for acid-fast stain: This bacterium is not acid-fast, meaning it does not retain the carbol fuchsin dye after acid-alcohol decolorization. Acid-fast organisms, like Mycobacteria, retain the dye and appear red, whereas Staphylococcus epidermidis would not.
- Negative for spore stain: Staphylococcus epidermidis does not produce endospores, which are typically formed by certain Gram-positive bacilli like Bacillus and Clostridium. Hence, it will not show spores when the spore stain is applied.
Therefore, the correct answer to the question is option 1) Positive for gram stain, negative for acid fast, and negative for spore stain.