Acid-fast mycobacteria contain mycolic acid in their outer membrane, making the cells waxy and resistant to staining with aqueous based stains such as the Gram stain. The primary stain, carbolfuchsin is applied to the cells, and heat and phenol are used t

The main aim of this staining is to differentiate bacteria into acid fast group and non-acid fast groups. This method is used for those microorganisms which are not staining by simple or Gram staining method, particularly the member of genus Mycobacterium

Acidfast Stain: Background and Introduction. Mycobacterium and many Nocardia species are called acid-fast because during an acid-fast staining procedure they retain the primary dye carbol fuchsin despite decolorization with the powerful solvent acid-alcoh