The purpose of a mordant in the Gram stain is to
A) make the bacterial cells larger.
B) make the flagella visible.
C) remove the simple stain.
D) prevent the crystal violet from leaving the cells.
E) make gram-negative cells visible.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A mordant in the Gram stain, such as iodine, is used to form a complex with the crystal violet stain, which helps to fix the dye within the cell walls of gram-positive bacteria, preventing it from being easily washed out.

The Purpose of a Mordant in the Gram Stain Is