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An Unknown Bacterium By Conducting Five Tests And Removing Possibilities From The List Of Unknown Genera

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Section I – Introduction: The purpose of this paper is to identify an unknown bacterium by conducting five tests and removing possibilities from the list of unknown genera. After explaining what the tests are for, and why they’re conducted. I then interpreted, analyzed, and explained the outcomes of each test. I was then given a 16S rRNA sequence that I’m able to input into the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool and find out what genus my bacterium is. Finally, comparing whether my results correlate with the bacterium shown after the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool. While conducting each research test, it has to be done using an aseptic technique. Aseptic technique is a way to prevent contamination of a sample. Contamination can be …show more content…

The ways we can examine organism is by using a microscope. We’ve used a bright-Field microscopy that shines light through a specimen (1). The organism is then magnified as light refracts through the four objective lens 4X, 10X, 40X, and 100X found on the revolving nosepiece. It is then further magnified as we look through the ocular lens at 10X. By multiplying the objective lenses and the ocular lens gives a total magnification of 40X, 100X, 400X and 1000X. Once reaching objective lens 100X oil needs to be put on the slide. By using oil, it increases the lens magnification because oil refracts light just like the lens in the microscope and it has the same refractive index (1). While completing the 5 tests I used medium that have a purpose selective and differential. Selective mediums “inhibit the growth of some organisms and encourage the growth of others” (1). Differential mediums differentiate between microorganisms using indicators such as color as the pH of the medium changes (1). I performed a gram stain on my unknown 7. It appeared to be purple and round shaped. I came to the conclusion that my bacterium is gram-positive, cocci. A gram stain is a differential test. It allows recognizing the difference between two cell walls structures. In a gram-positive cell wall contains a thick peptidoglycan layer covering the plasma membrane (2). The purple staining is retained around the cell

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