Fundamentals of Microbiology

Background

Wet mount preparation allows viewing of live and motile microorganisms which would be otherwise killed due to harsh staining procedures. Usually a specimen is placed onto a microscope slide. Then another thin piece of glass is placed over the slide. The major disadvantage of this preparation is that it dries out very rapidly. This can be minimised by sealing the edges of the cover glass by means of silicone grease.