Final answer:
A staining procedure that uses more than one dye to differentiate cellular groups or structures is known as a differential staining technique. The Gram stain is a notable example, used to distinguish bacteria based on their cell wall composition.
Step-by-step explanation:
A staining procedure that uses more than one dye to distinguish between different groups or cell parts due to different color reactions is a differential staining technique. These techniques are essential in microbiology for identifying and characterizing different types of bacteria, especially in clinical settings.
Among the various differential staining methods, the Gram stain procedure is one of the most significant and commonly used. It is capable of distinguishing bacteria based on their cell wall structure by applying a primary stain and a secondary counterstain.
Other differential staining techniques include acid-fast staining, endospore staining, and capsule staining, each serving a specific purpose by highlighting different bacterial structures or features.
These methods involve a series of steps where multiple dyes react differently with different parts of the cells, thereby allowing the observer to identify and differentiate between distinct cell types or structures under a microscope.