Lab 11

Question 1

Briefly explain the principle of the Ames test.

Answer 1

The principle of the Ames test is to determine whether a particular chemical causes a mutation.

Question 2

The standard Ames test uses at least 5 bacterial strains to assess the mutagenicity of chemicals. What is the benefit of using multiple bacterial strains?

Answer 2

5 strains are used for reliable and reproducible results

Question 3

What is the purpose of adding a small amount of histidine in the top agar?

Answer 3

Histidine is required for initial growth of bacteria, once the histidine is depleted only the mutated bacteria gain the ability to synthesize histidine form colonies