The Difference Between a High School Diploma and a GED

The Difference Between a High School Diploma and a GED There’s more than one way to prove your knowledge. While many students spend years earning their high school diplomas, others take a battery of tests in a single day and move on to college with a General Equivalency Diploma (GED). But is a GED as good as an actual diploma? And do colleges and employers really care which one you choose? Take a look at the facts before deciding how to complete your high school education. GED Students who take the GED exam must not be enrolled in or graduated from high school and must be over the age of 16. Depending on the state where the test is taken, students may also have to meet other requirements. Requirements: The GED is awarded after  a student passes a series of tests in five academic subjects. In order to pass each test, the student must score higher than 60% of the sample set of graduating seniors. Generally, students need to spend a considerable amount of time studying for the exams. Length of study: Students are not required to take traditional courses in order to earn their GED. The examinations take seven hours and five minutes to complete. Students may need to take preparation courses in order to get ready for the exams. However, these preparation courses are not mandatory. How employers view a GED: The majority of employers hiring for entry-level positions will consider a GED score as comparable to an actual diploma. A small number of employers will consider the GED inferior to a diploma. If a student continues school and receives a college degree, his employer will probably not even consider how he completed his high school education. How colleges view a GED: Most community colleges admit students who have received a GED. Individual universities have their own policies. Many will accept students with a GED, but some will not view the credential the same way as a diploma, especially if the school requires specialized courses of study for admittance. In many cases, a traditional diploma will be viewed as superior. High School Diploma Laws vary from state to state, but most schools will permit students to work on completing their high school diploma at a traditional public school for one to three  years after they turn eighteen. Special community schools and other programs often provide older students the opportunity to complete their graduation requirements. School diplomas do not generally have minimum age requirements. Requirements: In order to receive a diploma, students must complete coursework as dictated by their school district. Curriculum varies from district to district. Length of study: Students generally take four years to complete their high school diploma. How employers view a diploma: A high school diploma will allow students to meet the education requirements for many entry-level positions. Generally, employees with diplomas will earn significantly more than those without. Students who wish to advance in their careers may need to attend college for additional training. How colleges view a diploma: Most students admitted to four-year colleges have earned a high school diploma. However, a diploma does not guarantee acceptance. Factors such as grade point average (GPA), coursework, and extracurricular activities also play a role in admissions decisions.

Gram Stain Procedure in Microbiology

Gram Stain Procedure in Microbiology The Gram stain is a differential method of staining used to assign bacteria to one of two groups (gram-positive and gram-negative) based on the properties of their cell walls. It is also known as Gram staining or Grams method. The procedure is named for the person who developed the technique, Danish bacteriologist Hans Christian Gram. How the Gram Stain Works The procedure is based on the reaction between peptidoglycan in the cell walls of some bacteria. The Gram stain involves staining bacteria, fixing the color with a mordant, decolorizing the cells, and applying a counterstain. The primary stain (crystal violet) binds to peptidoglycan, coloring cells purple. Both gram-positive and gram-negative cells have peptidoglycan in their cell walls, so initially, all bacteria stain violet.Grams iodine (iodine and potassium iodide) is applied as a mordant or fixative. Gram-positive cells form a crystal violet-iodine complex.Alcohol or acetone is used to decolorize the cells. Gram-negative bacteria have much less peptidoglycan in their cell walls, so this step essentially renders them colorless, while only some of the color is removed from gram-positive cells, which have more peptidoglycan (60-90% of the cell wall). The thick cell wall of gram-positive cells is dehydrated by the decolorizing step, causing them to shrink and trapping the stain-iodine complex inside.After the decolorizing step, a counterstain is applied (usually safranin, but sometimes fuchsine) to color the bacteria pink. Both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria pick up the pink stain, but it is no t visible over the darker purple of the gram-positive bacteria. If the staining procedure is performed correctly, gram-positive bacteria will be purple, while gram-negative bacteria will be pink. Purpose of the Gram Staining Technique The results of the Gram stain are viewed using light microscopy. Because the bacteria are colored, not only is their Gram stain group identified, but their shape, size, and clumping pattern may be observed. This makes the Gram stain a valuable diagnostic tool for a medical clinic or lab. While the stain may not definitely identify bacteria, often knowing whether they are gram-positive or gram-negative is sufficient for prescribing an effective antibiotic. Limitations of the Technique Some bacteria may be gram-variable or gram-indeterminate. However, even this information may be useful in narrowing down bacterial identity. The technique is most reliable when cultures are less than 24 hours old. While it can be used on broth cultures, its best to centrifuge them first. The primary limitation of the technique is that it yields erroneous results if mistakes are made in the technique. Practice and skill are needed to produce a reliable result. Also, an infectious agent may not be bacterial. Eukaryotic pathogens stain gram-negative. However, most eukaryotic cells except fungi (including yeast) fail to stick to the slide during the process. Gram Staining Procedure Materials Crystal violet (primary stain)Grams iodine (mordant, to fix crystal violet in the cell wall)Ethanol or Acetone (decolorizer)Safranin (secondary stain or counterstain)Water in a squirt bottle or dropper bottleMicroscope slidesCompound microscope Note its better to use distilled water than tap water, as pH differences in water sources may affect results. Steps Place a small drop of bacterial sample on a slide. Heat fix the bacteria to the slide by passing it through the flame of a Bunsen burner three times. Applying too much heat or for too long can melt the bacteria  cell walls, distorting their shape and leading to an inaccurate result. If too little heat is applied, the bacteria will wash off the slide during staining.Use a dropper to apply the primary stain (crystal violet) to the slide and allow it to sit for 1 minute. Gently rinse the slide with water no longer than 5 seconds to remove excess stain. Rinsing too long can remove too much color, while not rinsing long enough may allow too much stain to remain on gram-negative cells.Use a dropper to apply Grams iodine to the slide to fix the crystal violet to the cell wall. Let it sit for 1 minute.Rinse the slide with alcohol or acetone about 3 seconds, followed immediately with a gentle rinse using water. The gram-negative cells will lose color, while the gram-positive cells will rema in violet or blue. However, if the decolorizer is left on too long, all cells will lose color! Apply the secondary stain, safranin, and allow it to sit for 1 minute. Gently rinse with water no longer than 5 seconds. The gram-negative cells should be stained red or pink, while the gram-positive cells will still appear purple or blue.View the slide using a compound microscope. A magnification of 500x to 1000x may be needed to distinguish cell shape and arrangement. Examples of Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Pathogens Not all bacteria identified by the Gram stain are associated with diseases, but a few important examples include: Gram-positive cocci  (round)  -Staphylococcus aureusGram-negative cocci  -  Neisseria meningitidisGram-positive bacilli (rods)  -  Bacillus anthracisGram-negative bacilli  -  Escherichia coli