Summary: Iodine

- test for the presence of starches in organic compounds, with which it reacts by turning a dark-blue/black. - It can be used as a cell stain, making the cell nuclei more visible and for preserving phytoplankton samples.

- Lugol's solution can also be used in various experiments to

observe how a cell membrane uses osmosis and diffusion.

Methyl green

- used commonly with bright-field microscopes to dye the chromatin of cells so that they are more easily viewed.

Nigrosin

- used for negative Staining of bacteria. The shapes and sizes of the organisms are seen as color-free outlines against the dark background.

Visible parts Unstained iodine Methyl green nigrosin Mechanisms of the three stains Iodine Methyl green Nigrosin Negative stain for bacteria Helps to make bacteria s shape and size visible and seen as color free outlines on darker background Served as mordant and is trapped in Used to dye chromatin of cells the cell leaving it darkly stained Mordant served as intensifiers of the stain Indispensable in adhering dye tissues Cell membrane vacuole Dark stain fills the cell Cell membrane vacuole Cell membrane vacuole