(Lab 2) Biochemical Tests Flashcards
What biochemical test is shown?
Mannitol Salt Agar (MSA)
What is the purpose of MSA?
- detect if an organism is halotolerant
- detect if an organism can ferment mannitol
What are the ingredients in MSA?
Selective ingredients: 7.5% salt concentration (inhibits non-halotolerant organisms)
Differential ingredients: mannitol (for fermentation)
Does MSA use a reagent or a pH indicator? Describe it
Phenol Red pH indicator:
- yellow (acidic)
- red/orange (neutral)
- pink (alkaline)
What are the possible results in a MSA plate?
No growth: non-halotolerant
Growth: halotolerant
yellow growth: ferment mannitol
pink growth: use of proteins instead of mannitol
What biochemical test is shown?
Eosin Methylene Blue Agar (EMB)
What is the purpose of an EMB plate?
- Selects for G- species
- differentiates organisms that can ferment lactose
What ingredients are in an EMB plate?
Selective ingredients: Eosin and Methylene blue (inhibit G+ growth)
Differential ingredients: Lactose [differentiate coliforms (G-lactose fermenters) from non-coliforms]
Eosin (pH indicator. combines with color of methylene blue to produce results)
Does EMB use a reagent or pH indicator? Describe it.
pH indicator: Eosin:
- metallic green: very acidic (coliforms)
- dark purple: acidic
- pink: neutral/alkaline
What are the possible results in an EMB plate?
What biochemical test is shown?
Phenylethanol Agar (PEA)
What is the purpose of PEA?
Selects for G+ bacteria
What ingredients are in a PEA plate?
selective ingredients: phenylethanol
Does PEA use a pH indicator or a reagent? Describe it.
Neither. Indication is based on growth
What are the possible results for a PEA test?
Strong growth: Probably G+
Weak growth: Probably G-
What bacteria is PEA good for identifying?
G+ Staphylococcus and Streptococcus
What biochemical test is pictured?
Fluid Thioglycolate Broth
What is the purpose of FTB?
Determine the specific O2 requirements of different bacterial species
What ingredients are in FTB? Describe them.
Thioglycolate: bind O2
Resazurin: O2 indicator
- pink: O2 present
- clear - O2 absent
Gelatin: slows diffusion of O2 into media
What are obligate aerobes? What is their appearance in Thioglycollate broth? What enzymes do they have against oxidative damage?
- Use aerobic respiration only
- contain both Superoxide dismutase and catalase
What are facultative anaerobes? What is their appearance in Thioglycolate broth? What enzymes do they have against oxidative damage? Provide an example.
- use aerobic respiration if O2 available and anaerobic pathways if not
- contain both Superoxide dismutase and catalase
- majority of bacteria
What are aerotolerant anaerobes? What is their appearance in Thioglycollate broth? What enzymes do they have against oxidative damage?
- do not use O2 but can survive if present
- contains only Superoxide dismutase
What are microaerophiles? How do they appear in Thioglycolate broth? What enzymes do they have against oxidative damage? Provide an example.
- use aerobic respiration, but require low O2 concentration, ~ 1%
- contains both Superoxide dismutase and catalase at low concentration
- Neisseria gonorrhoeae
What are obligate anaerobes? What is their appearance in Thioglycolate broth? What enzymes do they have against oxidative damage? Provide an example.
- do not use aerobic respiration. O2 is toxic
- contains no enzyme against oxidative stress
- Clostridium difficil
What biochemical test is pictured?
Starch agar (non-selective)
What is the purpose of a starch agar plate?
Determine if a bacteria has the enzyme amylase to digest carbohydrates
Does starch agar use a pH indicator or a reagent?
Reagent: Iodine
What are the possible results with a starch agar?
Black: Iodine + starch
clear: iodine + glucose
What biochemical test is pictured?
Skim milk agar
What is the purpose of the skim milk agar?
Determine if an organism contains contains casease to digest casein protein into amino acids
What are the possible results for skim milk agar?
Clear halo: has casease
no halo: no casease
What biochemical test is pictured?
gelatin deep