Question

You can see endospores by simple staining. Why not use this technique?

a) Endospores are too small to stain
b) Endospores are resistant to staining
c) Endospores are motile and escape staining
d) Endospores are too large to stain

Answer 1

Endospores are resistant to staining, so a special stain called the endospore stain is used to make them more visible.

Step-by-step explanation:

Endospores are resistant to typical staining procedures because of their highly resistant coat. A special staining method called the endospore stain is used to make them more visible. This stain uses heat or long exposure time to encourage the endospores to take up a primary stain, such as malachite green. The cells are then decolorized, and a counterstain is applied to provide color and contrast.