Which statement correctly describes the relationship between glycogen and nuclei colors in best carmine staining?

• A. Glycogen pink to red; Nuclei blue
• B. Glycogen blue; Nuclei pink
• C. Glycogen green; Nuclei yellow
• D. Glycogen colorless; Nuclei red

Answer: (A)

Best carmine staining makes glycogen stand out by binding carmine to its carbohydrate-rich structure, giving glycogen a bright pink to red color. The nuclei, on the other hand, are visualized with a blue counterstain, so you see blue-stained nuclei against the pink-to-red glycogen areas. This contrast is what the statement describes: glycogen appears pink to red and nuclei appear blue. Other color pairings don’t reflect the staining pattern produced by this method.