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What makes Mycobacterium resistant to staining?

a) High water content
b) Thick lipid cell wall
c) Lack of ribosomes
d) Presence of flagella

User Kudlur
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

Mycobacterium is resistant to staining due to the presence of mycolic acid-rich cell walls.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Mycobacterium genus contains bacteria with mycolic acid-rich cell walls, which make them resistant to staining. The waxy mycolic acid acts as a barrier, preventing stains from penetrating the cell. This is why the Gram stain does not work with mycobacteria such as Mycobacterium. Instead, the acid-fast staining technique is used to identify the presence of mycolic acid-rich cell walls in bacterial samples.

User Xernox
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