Gram Stain Definition

grăm
noun
A staining technique used to classify bacteria in which a bacterial specimen is first stained with crystal violet, then treated with an iodine solution, decolorized with alcohol, and counterstained with safranin. Because of differences in cell wall structure, gram-positive bacteria retain the violet stain whereas gram-negative bacteria do not.
American Heritage Medicine
Synonyms:
  • Gram's method
  • Gram's stain
  • Gram's procedure
  • Gram method

Origin of Gram Stain

  • After Hans Christian Joachim Gram (1853–1938), Danish physician

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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Gram stain