Rose bengal

Definition

Rose Bengal is a synthetic dye used in microbiological staining to identify and differentiate cellular structures, particularly in fungal and bacterial specimens. It fluoresces under certain light conditions, aiding in the visualization of microorganisms.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Rose Bengal is commonly used to stain yeast cells and mold spores in environmental samples.
2. It has antimicrobial properties, which can inhibit the growth of certain organisms during staining procedures.
3. Rose Bengal can be used in conjunction with other stains for differential staining techniques.
4. The dye absorbs light at around 548 nm and emits fluorescence at around 610 nm.
5. It is particularly useful for identifying fungi due to its affinity for chitin in fungal cell walls.

Review Questions

• What types of microorganisms are most effectively stained by Rose Bengal?
• How does Rose Bengal inhibit the growth of certain organisms during staining?
• What are the absorption and emission wavelengths of Rose Bengal when it fluoresces?

Related terms

Gram Stain:

A staining technique used to classify bacteria into Gram-positive or Gram-negative groups based on cell wall composition.

Crystal Violet:

A purple dye used in Gram staining as the primary stain that binds to peptidoglycan in bacterial cell walls.

Fluorescence Microscopy:

A type of microscopy that uses fluorescence instead of, or in addition to, reflection and absorption to study properties of organic or inorganic substances.