While examining soil from a cornfield, you found a new type of bacteria that turns purple when treated with Gram stain. What lineage might it belong to?
A) Proteobacteria
B) Chlamydiales
C) Firmicutes
D) Spirochaeles
E) Cyanobacteria

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Gram stain is a differentiation technique used to identify bacterial groups based on their cell wall characteristics. Cells that turn purple with Gram stain have a thick peptidoglycan layer in their cell wall and are classified as Gram-positive bacteria. Firmicutes are a phylum of Gram-positive bacteria, which include many important genera such as Bacillus, Clostridium, and Staphylococcus. Therefore, the new type of bacteria discovered in the cornfield is likely a member of the Firmicutes phylum.

While Examining Soil from a Cornfield, You Found a New