ch. 2 - concepts + tools to study microbiology Flashcards
where can we collect microorganisms from the environment?
- soil
- water
where can we collect specimens in a clinical setting?
- blood
- cerebrospinal fluid
- sputum
- urine
- feces
- diseased tissue
what are the five I’s of microbiology?
1) inoculation
2) incubation
3) isolation
4) inspection
5) identification
what does it mean to inoculate?
to put –> onto media (food)
what are the media forms (cultures)?
1) solid (2 types - can and cannot be liquefied) - colonies
2) semi-solid - motility
3) liquids - always add more liquid, more bacteria
what are the media food nutrients (cultures)?
1) chemically defined - recipe for exact amounts of all chemicals
2) complex - contain “complex ingredients”
what are the special media ingredients (cultures)?
1) selective - actively kill microbes
- get a single type of bacteria
2) differential - does not kill
- changes color based on microbe
what is a culture?
the propagation of microorganisms with various media
what is a medium?
a nutrient used to grow microorganisms outside their natural habitat
what does inoculation mean?
the implantation of microorganisms into or onto culture media
what does chemically defined media mean?
- media with compositions that are precisely chemically defined
- contain pure organic and inorganic compounds that vary little from one source to another
- molecular content - specified by exact formula
what is agar?
- complex polysaccharide from the alga Gellidium
- liquifies at 100 degrees celsius (when poured - will not harm microbe or handler)
- solidifies at 42 degrees celsius
- flexible + moldable, can hold moisture + nutrients
- not a digestible nutrient for microorganisms
what is selective media?
- contains one or more agents that inhibit the growth of a certain microbes but not others
- important in primary isolation of a specific type of microorganism from samples containing dozens of species
ex.) Thayer-Martin Medium - contains four antibiotics ( vancomycin, colistin, Nystatin, and STX) and only grows Neissera
what is differential media?
- allow multiple types of microorganisms to grow —> designed to show differences
- differentiation shows as variations in colony or media color
ex.) E. coli glows green
what does complex media mean?
- contain at least one ingredient that is not chemically definable
- extracts of animals, plants or yeasts; blood, serum, meat extracts, or infusions
- present a rich mixture of nutrients for microbes that have complex nutritional needs
what does incubation mean?
- means “to cook” –> media containing inoculants is placed on temperature-controlled chambers
- usual lab temps: 20 to 40 degrees celsius, body temp: 37 degrees celsius = 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit
- atmospheric gases: O2 + CO2 may be needed for certain microbes
- during this, microbes grow + multiply = visible growth in the media
what does isolation mean?
- concept –> if an individual cell is separated from other cells on a nutrient surface, it will form a colony
- the faster it grows (shape + color) = more contagious
requires the following items: medium w/ firm surface, a petri dish, + inoculating tools
what is a colony?
- a macroscopic cluster of cells appearing on a solid medium —> arising from the multiplication of a single cell
what is a pure culture?
one type of microorganism
what is a mixed culture?
two or more microorganisms
steps in a streak plate:
1) start w/ a primary streak (using a sterilized loop ) in a triangle shape
2) sterilize the loop + create a secondary streak
3) sterilize the loop + create a third streak
4) sterilize the loop + create a final streak in a triangular shape in the available space