Name of Gram's stain - Stain (Apr/03/2005 )

Hi,

I know this is the basic of the basics but I want to know, why is the gram stain called Gram stain? Is it a Scientist name? I have looked in books and it explained the gram positive wall and gram negative wall but nothing about the actual word. Please fill me in.

The Gram stain procedure was originally developed by the Danish physician Hans Christian Gram to differentiate pneumococci from Klebsiella pneumonia. In brief, the procedure involves the application of a solution of iodine (potassium iodide) to cells previously stained with crystal violet or gentian violet. This procedure produces "purple colored iodine-dye complexes" in the cytoplasm of bacteria. The cells that are previously stained with crystal violet and iodine are next treated with a decolonizing agent such as 95% ethanol or a mixture of acetone and alcohol. The difference between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria is in the permeability of the cell wall to these "purple colored iodine-dye complexes" when treated with the decolorizing solvent. While Gram-positive bacteria retain purple iodine-dye complexes after the treatment with the decolorizing agent, Gram-negative bacteria do not retain complexes when decolorized. To visualize decolorized Gram-negative bacteria, a red counterstain such as safranin is used after decolorization treatment

thanks to google and cut&paste

Thanks for the information! It totally makes sense to me now.

The Gram stain procedure was originally developed by the Danish physician Hans Christian Gram to differentiate pneumococci from Klebsiella pneumonia. In brief, the procedure involves the application of a solution of iodine (potassium iodide) to cells previously stained with crystal violet or gentian violet. This procedure produces "purple colored iodine-dye complexes" in the cytoplasm of bacteria. The cells that are previously stained with crystal violet and iodine are next treated with a decolonizing agent such as 95% ethanol or a mixture of acetone and alcohol. The difference between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria is in the permeability of the cell wall to these "purple colored iodine-dye complexes" when treated with the decolorizing solvent. While Gram-positive bacteria retain purple iodine-dye complexes after the treatment with the decolorizing agent, Gram-negative bacteria do not retain complexes when decolorized. To visualize decolorized Gram-negative bacteria, a red counterstain such as safranin is used after decolorization treatment

thanks to google and cut&paste 

As always, its the name of the dude who invented it

there 's a quick method that you can use to determine bacterial Gram
<Ryus method> use KOH 3% drop (a little) on a bacteria colony (large mass of cell removed on a lame), then use a loop culture equip to dissolve (carefully),
test possitive: Gram negative :see a fibre between the loop and lame
test negative: Gram possitive :no fibre between the loop and lame
i see it is a good method