Your patient asks you whether there were also viruses on the slide. You tell her
A) yes, but they are of no concern because they are part of her normal microbiota.
B) maybe, but there were too few to observe among the bacteria.
C) maybe, but viruses cannot be observed without an electron microscope.
D) unlikely, because viruses seldom cause sore throats in people.
E) no, because viruses would be destroyed by the decolorizing step of the Gram stain.

Question

Your patient asks you whether there were also viruses on the slide. You tell her
A) yes, but they are of no concern because they are part of her normal microbiota.
B) maybe, but there were too few to observe among the bacteria.
C) maybe, but viruses cannot be observed without an electron microscope.
D) unlikely, because viruses seldom cause sore throats in people.
E) no, because viruses would be destroyed by the decolorizing step of the Gram stain.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Viruses are too small to be observed with a light microscope and require an electron microscope for visualization. Therefore, it is possible that there were viruses on the slide, but they could not be observed with the Gram stain.

Your Patient Asks You Whether There Were Also Viruses on the Slide