Staining Techniques
Because microbial cytoplasm is usually transparent, it is necessary to stain microorganisms before they can be viewed with the light microscope. In some cases, staining is unnecessary, for example when microorganisms are very large or when motility is to be studied, and a drop of the microorganisms can be placed directly on the slide and observed. A preparation such as this is called a wet mount. A wet mount can also be prepared by placing a drop of culture on a cover‐slip (a glass cover for a slide) and then inverting it over a hollowed‐out slide. This procedure is called the hanging drop.
