Which of the following would be best suited to observe the motility of microbial cells?
A) Gram stain
B) nuclear magnetic resonance
C) scanning electron microscopy
D) negative stain
E) phase-contrast microscopy

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Phase-contrast microscopy is the best choice to observe the motility of microbial cells. This technique allows for the visualization of living cells without staining and can detect subtle differences in the refractive index of different parts of the cell, such as the cilia or flagella, which are responsible for movement. The other options are not suited for observing motility, as Gram staining is a method of identifying bacterial cell walls, nuclear magnetic resonance is used for imaging internal structures of larger organisms, scanning electron microscopy provides a highly detailed surface view of cells but requires dead and fixed specimens, and negative staining is used for observing cell morphology rather than motility.

Which of the Following Would Be Best Suited to Observe