How Do You Spell ACIDFAST?

Pronunciation: [ɐsˈɪdfast] (IPA)

The word "acidfast" refers to bacteria that resist decolorization by acids during a staining process used in microbiology. The spelling of "acidfast" could be broken down into IPA phonetic transcription as /ˈæsɪd fæst/. The initial "a" sound is pronounced as a short vowel, followed by the "s" sound for the "ss" digraph. The second syllable "id" is pronounced with the short "i" sound and the "d" consonant. The final syllable "fast" is pronounced with the long "a" sound and the "st" consonant cluster.

ACIDFAST Meaning and Definition

1. Acid-fast is an adjective that describes the property of certain bacteria to resist decolorization by acid-alcohol solutions after they have been stained with a dye called carbol fuchsin. This resistance is due to the presence of a unique waxy substance called mycolic acid in the bacterial cell wall.

   This term is primarily used in the context of medical microbiology, specifically in the identification of Mycobacterium species, which are responsible for various infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and leprosy. Acid-fast staining is an important laboratory technique that allows for the differentiation of acid-fast bacteria from non-acid fast organisms.

   When a sample containing these bacteria is stained with carbol fuchsin, the dye is taken up by the acid-fast bacteria and binds to the mycolic acid in their cell walls, imparting a bright red color to these organisms. Subsequently, when an acid-alcohol solution is applied, it removes the dye from all bacteria except the acid-fast ones, which retain the red coloration due to the insolubility of mycolic acid in acid-alcohol.

   The acid-fast property of certain bacteria is crucial in laboratory identification as it helps clinicians diagnose and treat infections caused by these organisms accurately. Additionally, it is a valuable characteristic used to discriminate these bacteria from other types of microorganisms commonly found in clinical specimens.

Common Misspellings for ACIDFAST

• acidfast
• aci dfast
• acidf ast
• acid fast
• acidfasst
• zcidfast
• scidfast
• wcidfast
• qcidfast
• axidfast
• avidfast
• afidfast
• adidfast
• acudfast
• acjdfast
• ackdfast
• acodfast
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• acisfast

Etymology of ACIDFAST

The word "acidfast" is formed by combining the terms "acid" and "fast".

- "Acid" originated from the Latin word "acidus", which means "sour" or "tart". Over time, it came to be used to refer to substances that have a pH lower than 7, demonstrating a sour taste and the ability to dissolve metals and other materials.

- "Fast" is derived from the Old English word "fæst", which means "firm" or "fixed". In this context, it signifies the resistance or persistence of a substance or organism to certain conditions or agents.

When combined, "acidfast" describes the resistance of certain microorganisms, particularly bacteria like Mycobacterium tuberculosis, to being decolorized by acid during staining procedures. This characteristic is significant when distinguishing acid-fast bacteria from non-acid-fast bacteria in microbiology.