Question

Safranin dye is used as the counterstain in ________ stain(s).

1) the acid-fast
2) the flagellar
3) the endospore
4) the Gram
5) both the Gram and the endospore

Answer 1

Safranin dye is used as a counterstain in both the Gram stain and the endospore stain, helping to differentiate structures in each process.

Step-by-step explanation:

Safranin dye is used as the counterstain in both the Gram stain and the endospore stain. In the endospore staining process, the primary stain used is malachite green, which is pushed into the endospore through heat application in the Schaeffer-Fulton method. After washing, the cell is counterstained with safranin, where the vegetative cells will appear pink, making the green endospores visible. In the Gram stain process, after the decolorization step, gram-negative cells will be counterstained pink by safranin, while gram-positive cells retain the purple crystal violet dye.