What is Gram-positive?
[[File:Gram_Stain_Anthrax.jpg|thumb|280px|Gram-positive [[Bacillus anthracis]] bacteria (purple rods) in [[cerebrospinal fluid]] sample. The other cells are [[white blood cell]]s.]] [[File:Gram-Cell-Wall.jpg|thumb|280px|right|Diagram of bacterial cell walls]] '''Gram-positive [[bacteria]]''' are those that are stained dark blue or violet by [[Gram staining]]. This is in contrast to [[gram-negative]] bacteria, which cannot hold the ''crystal violet'' stain. Instead they take up the counterstain (''safranin'' or ''fuchsine'') and appear red or pink. The difference is caused by the cell wall structure. Gram-positive organisms have thick [[peptidoglycan]] layer. This protects them, so they do not need rigid cell walls. On the other hand, gram-negative bacteria have thin, insignificant peptidoglycan layers, so they do need rigid cell walls for support and protection. == Related pages == *[[Gram-negative]] *[[Gram staining]] == Other websites == *[http://opm.phar.umich.edu/localization.php?localization=Bacterial%20gram-positive%20plasma%20membrane 3D structures of proteins associated with plasma membrane of Gram-positive bacteria] *[http://opm.phar.umich.edu/localization.php?localization=Bacterial%20gram-positive%20outer%20membrane 3D structures of proteins associated with outer membrane of Gram-positive bacteria] * [http://microbeid.com/Methods/gramstain.html Gram Staining Procedure and Images] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120222214510/http://www.microbeid.com/Methods/gramstain.html |date=2012-02-22 }} [[Category:Gram-positive bacteria| ]] {{sci-stub}}