“Colors” in the Clinical Microbiology Tests

Abstract

The clinical microbiology tests are basic examinations for identification of causal agents in the bacterial infection. These tests require us to check the “colors” in the examination. The staining methods include the Gram's stain, Ziehl - Neelsen stain, and lactophenol cotton blue stain. The color changes in the isolation and identification agars are brought by utilization of glucose and pH indicator. Bacteria often produce various pigments in the clinical microbiology testing. Microbiologists utilize these “colors” as a clue to identify the bacteria. In this review, we describe the chemical and biological characteristics for producing “colors” in the clinical microbiology tests.