Why Do Smears Need to Be Air Dried?
The Bacterial Frost Is Air-Dried Before Staining to Fix the Bacteria on the Slide So That It Does Not Wash Away with a Subsequent Staining Procedure. the...
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Hereof, why is it important to air dry a smear?
Air drying the smears before heat fixation is essential. Water can boil while passing the slide through the flame which could alter the natural shape and size of the bacteria. Overheating the smear during heat-fixing process can distort the form and structure of the cells.
Additionally, why is it necessary to heat the slide after the smear is air dried? The dry smear is heated on a hot plate or passed through a flame several times to heat fix it. Heat fixing denatures bacterial enzymes, preventing them from digesting cell parts, which causes the cell to break, a process called autolysis. The heat also enhances the adherence of bacterial cells to the slide.
Beside this, what is the purpose of air drying?
Drying helps remove excess water to ensure optimal heat fixation. Air-drying adheres the bacteria to the slide. Air-drying ensures that the smear is thin enough to stain. The air-drying step coagulates the proteins in the bacteria. Drying helps remove excess water to ensure optimal heat fixation.
What would happen if you heat fixed a smear before it air dried?
If you heat the slide before it is completely dry, then you end up “boiling apart” the cells. The vapor pressure inside the cells will burst them… Heat fix the dried slide by quickly pulling it through a Bunsen burner (2x), but in a way that the cells do not touch the flame.
