Mycobacterium tuberculosis is very difficult to stain because of the
A) presence of ribosomes in the cytoplasm.
B) location of the DNA within the cell.
C) large amounts of a waxy lipid present in its cell wall.
D) lack of a cell wall.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Mycobacterium tuberculosis has a complex cell wall that contains a high amount of a waxy lipid called mycolic acid, which makes it difficult to stain using traditional staining methods such as Gram staining. Instead, special acid-fast stains, such as the Ziehl-Neelsen stain or the Kinyoun stain, are used to visualize its characteristic rod-shaped bacilli under a microscope.

Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Is Very Difficult to Stain Because of the