counterstaining
/ˌkaʊntərˈsteɪnɪŋ/
verb
- To apply a secondary stain to a specimen for contrast in microscopy.
- She is counterstaining the sample to reveal the cell walls.
- They counterstaining the tissue with hematoxylin for better visibility.
- The technician will counterstaining the slide after the primary dye dries.
noun
- A secondary stain used in microscopy to make certain structures visible by contrasting with the primary stain.
- The biologist applied a counterstaining to highlight the cell nuclei.
- In the lab, counterstaining with eosin helped distinguish the tissue layers.
- The student learned that counterstaining is essential for identifying bacteria under a microscope.