Which staining method is specifically used to highlight mycobacteria in histological sections?

The Ziehl-Neelsen stain is specifically designed to highlight mycobacteria in tissue sections. This staining technique takes advantage of the unique properties of the mycobacterial cell wall, which is rich in mycolic acids, making these organisms resistant to decolorization by acid-alcohol after being initially stained with a primary stain, usually carbol fuchsin.

When tissue samples are prepared and subjected to the Ziehl-Neelsen procedure, mycobacteria retain the red color of the carbol fuchsin stain, while other background tissue components take on a blue color after a subsequent counterstaining step. This strong retention of the primary stain allows for the clear visualization of mycobacterial organisms, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, under a microscope, thus confirming the presence of these bacteria in the tissue sample.

Other staining methods do not specifically target mycobacteria. For instance, the Gram stain is used primarily for classifying bacteria based on their cell wall composition but does not effectively stain mycobacteria due to their unique structure. The hematoxylin and eosin stain is a general staining method used to visualize tissue architecture and cytologic details but is not specific for any particular type of bacteria. Lapin