Gram's solution

6.6

A liquid of iodine and potassium iodide used to stain bacteria in the Gram stain

noun

Specialized

: solución de Gram

Without Gram's solution, the differences between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria cannot be visualized.

Examples

The laboratory technician prepared Gram's solution to carry out the staining procedure.
Fresh Gram's solution should be used for reliable results during microscopic analysis.
The lab technician prepared Gram's solution for the experiment.
Have you ever used Gram's solution in your studies?
The laboratory technician prepared Gram's solution to carry out the staining procedure.
Fresh Gram's solution should be used for reliable results during microscopic analysis.
Without Gram's solution, the differences between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria cannot be visualized.

Surface Forms

Gram's solution singular

Morphology

Gram's + solution

The phrase is compositionally a possessive + noun ("Gram's" + "solution"), so a learner who knows 'solution' and recognizes a possessive name can infer it is some chemical/technical solution associated with a person named Gram. However, the exact composition and specific function in Gram staining are domain-specific and not derivable from the parts alone, so the meaning is only partially predictable without prior exposure.

Etymology

Gram's solution is named after the scientist Gram, who used this iodine liquid to stain bacteria so they could be seen under a microscope. That's why the name now means the iodine and potassium iodide liquid used 'to stain' bacteria and to tell 'Gram-positive' from 'Gram-negative'.