In this essay, you'll demonstrate your understanding of the different types of staining procedures discussed in Chapter 3 in terms of how they may be applied in the identification of an unknown sample. You'll also demonstrate your understanding of the anatomical differences among prokaryotes discussed in Chapter 4 that these procedures use to differentiate among the different genera of bacteria.

You are given a sputum sample from a patient that may be infected with a bacterium from one of the following genera: Bacillus, Escherichia, or Mycoplasma. In a Microsoft Word document, describe the important anatomical differences among these three genera (i.e., those features that could be used to differentiate among them) and the staining protocols you would use to identify which genera is causing the patient's infection. When discussing each staining protocol, it is important not only to mention the steps involved, but also how each step and each protocol would identify or eliminate each of these genera as a suspect. You may refer to other scientific resources, but they should be in addition to and not in place of the Module 2 resources.

Your essay should be approximately 2 pages in length, double spaced in 10-12 point font. If you refer to sources of information other then the textbook, please be sure to cite them in the text and on a reference page using APA format.