Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Bacteria
Q1: Are gram-negative or gram-positive bacteria more harmful?
Answer:
Gram-negative bacteria are more harmful than gram-positive because they have hard protective outer shells which help negative bacteria to resist antibiotics.
Q2: Is E-coli a gram-negative or gram-positive bacteria?
Answer:
E.coli is a gram-negative bacteria.
Q3: What infection is caused by Gram-positive bacteria?
Answer:
Gram-positive bacteria can cause various infections, with urinary Tract Infections being a common example, particularly in vulnerable populations such as the elderly and pregnant women.
Q4: Which infections are caused by gram-negative bacteria?
Answer:
Gram-negative bacteria cause various infections in humans:
- Indigestion
- Food Poisoning
- Pneumonia
Difference Between Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Bacteria
Gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria are two major groups of bacteria differentiated on the basis of their structure of the cell wall, and their response to a staining method called the gram stain. The main difference between Gram-positive and negative bacteria is the cell walls because of their structure and composition. Gram-positive bacteria have a thick peptidoglycan layer in their cell walls, which retains the crystal violet stain used during the staining process. While gram-negative bacteria have a thinner layer of peptidoglycan in their cell walls, which does not retain the crystal violet stain.
Gram Staining
Gram stain was developed by J.M.C. Gram, a bacteriologist from Denmark. This method uses a dye called crystal or gentian violet to differentiate between various types of bacteria. The ability of bacteria to retain the crystal violet stain determines their classification as either gram-positive or gram-negative. This staining technique is essential in identifying and characterizing different types of bacteria.