Acid-Fast Staining is a laboratory technique used to identify certain bacteria, particularly those in the Mycobacterium genus, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This method distinguishes acid-fast bacteria from non-acid-fast bacteria based on their cell wall composition, which contains mycolic acid. The process involves applying a primary stain, usually carbol fuchsin, followed by heat to help the dye penetrate the cell wall. After rinsing with acid-alcohol, acid-fast bacteria retain the red color, while non-acid-fast bacteria lose the stain and appear blue when a counterstain, like methylene blue, is applied.