Concentrated Stains for acid fast stains for mycobacteria - Dilute to 1 litre with distilled water before use.
Pro-Lab Acid Fast Stains are intended for use in staining smears prepared from specimens suspected of containing mycobacteria.
Mycobacteria possess unique acid fast characteristics that make the acid fast staining techniques valuable for detecting tubercle bacilli.
The lipid content of the cell wall of Acid Fast Bacilli makes staining of the organisms difficult. In acid fast stains, the phenol allows the stain to penetrate, even after exposure to decolourisors. If an organism is to be termed Acid Fast, it must resist decolourisation by acid-alcohol. A counterstain is then used to emphasise the stained organism.