Question

what would most likely occur if you drenched the bacterial smear in alcohol for 1 minute? a) all purple stain would escape as the cell wall of both gram - positive and gram - negative bacteria would dissolve b) the gram - negative bacteria would decolorize, while the more robust gram - positive bacteria would remain unaffected and retain its purple stain

Explanation:

Gram - positive bacteria have a thick peptidoglycan layer in their cell wall. Alcohol (a decolorizing agent in Gram staining) dehydrates this thick peptidoglycan layer, trapping the purple - colored crystal violet - iodine complex inside. Gram - negative bacteria have a thin peptidoglycan layer and an outer lipid membrane. Alcohol dissolves the outer lipid membrane (in Gram - negative bacteria), allowing the purple stain to escape.

Answer:

B. The Gram - negative bacteria would decolorize, while the more robust Gram - positive bacteria would remain unaffected and retain its purple stain