Which of the following best describes the primary use of Maneval's stain in microbiology?

• A. It is used to visualize bacterial capsules.
• B. It is used to detect acid-fast bacteria.
• C. It is used to differentiate between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.
• D. It is used to stain endospores.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that Maneval's stain is a special staining technique used in microbiology to highlight specific bacterial structures.
2. Recall that Maneval's stain is primarily used to visualize bacterial capsules, which are gelatinous outer layers surrounding some bacteria.
3. Recognize that capsules do not take up most stains well, so Maneval's stain uses a combination of acidic and basic dyes to create a contrasting background and highlight the capsule as a clear halo around the cell.
4. Differentiate Maneval's stain from other staining methods: acid-fast staining targets mycobacteria, Gram staining differentiates cell wall types, and endospore staining highlights spores, none of which are the primary purpose of Maneval's stain.
5. Conclude that the best description of Maneval's stain's primary use is to visualize bacterial capsules.