Microbio Final

Aseptic Technique

To handle a sterile substance without introducing contamination.

Colony

Visible cluster of bacteria derived from a single parent cell or colony-forming unit.

Colony Forming Unit (CFU)

A measurement used to estimate the number of viable or live organisms.

Isolated Colony

A colony that is not touching other colonies on the growth medium.

Culture

Bacteria or other living organisms growing on any format of medium.

Mixed Culture

Culture with a mixed population of microorganisms.

Pure Culture

Culture that contains only one type of microorganism.

Subculture

New culture made by transferring cells from one culture to another fresh growth medium.

Incubate

To grow/maintain culture under controlled conditions.

Inoculate

To purposely introduce organisms into a sterile medium to grow and study.

Medium (Media)

Surface or liquid containing ions, amino acids, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, water, and other enriching ingredients to grow bacteria.

General Purpose Medium

Provides general nutrition and supports a wide growth of microorganisms.

Selective Medium

Used to isolate a specific group of bacteria with a common trait.

Differential Medium

Used to tell apart different types of related bacteria that change the appearance of the bacteria themselves or the medium.

Agar

A complex polysaccharide that can be added to the media to make it solid.

Fluid Thioglycollate Broth

Allows anaerobic species to grow throughout the medium under an oxidized layer while aerobic grow in a thin layer on the surface.

MacConkey Agar

Selective and differential medium used to isolate Gram-negative organisms and to tell apart lactose-fermenting and non-lactose-fermenting organisms.

Metabolism

The sum of all reactions taking place in an organism.

Aerobic Respiration

A chemical process in which microorganisms use oxygen as a final electron acceptor.

Anaerobic Respiration

A chemical process in which microorganisms do not use oxygen as a final electron acceptor.

Fermentation

A last resort organisms use to produce energy in the absence of oxygen.

Plasmid

A piece of circular DNA that replicates autonomously and is not essential for growth.

Plasmid Map

Map of known restriction sites within the DNA sequence of a plasmid.

Restriction Enzymes

Enzymes that cut DNA at a specific restriction site.

Restriction Site

Location on DNA that contains the specific sequence of nucleotides recognized by a restriction enzyme.

Restriction Digest

Cutting plasmid DNA with a specific restriction site.

Resazurin

An indicator for the presence of oxygen used in media.

Species

A group of microorganisms with similar genetic, physiological, and ecological characteristics.

Strain

A genetic variant or subtype of a microorganism, such as a virus, bacterium, or fungus, with distinct characteristics.

Transformation

Transfer of genetic material into living cells.

Triphenyltetrazolium Chloride (TTC)

Redox indicator that will produce a maroon color when metabolized.

Bacillus subtilis

Gram positive, rod-shaped bacterium found in soil and gastrointestinal tract, facultative anaerobic, producing acid from a wide range of sugars, endospores that can withstand extreme temperatures and radiation, motile.

Bacillus atropheaus

Gram positive, aerobic, spore forming, soil environments, production of pigment (dark brown to black) when cultured in media with an organic nitrogen source, motile.

Citrobacter freundii

Gram negative, rod shape, motile, facultative anaerobe, plays an important part in the nitrogen cycle, citrate-utilizing.

Escherichia coli DH5α

Lac-, ampicillin-s, lab engineered cloning strain of E. coli, recA1 mutation needed for increased plasmid stability, nonpathogenic.

Escherichia coli K12

Non-pathogenic strain, rod shape, single circular chromosome, 4460 genes.

Enterobacter aerogenes

Gram negative, rod-shaped bacterium, lactose-fermenting, can also create acetoin.

Enterobacter cloacae

Gram negative, rod-shaped, catalase positive, motile, facultative anaerobic.

Enterococcus durans

Gram positive, spherical or ovoid shape, appearing in parts or short chains and halotolerant.

Geobacillus stearothermophilus

Gram positive, rod shaped, heat resistant spores, thermophilic.

Halobacterium salinarum

Halophilic, rod-shaped, motile, bacteriorhodopsin.

Micrococcus luteus

Gram positive, non-motile, coccus in tetrads, common in skin and oral environment.

Micrococcus roseus

Gram-positive, spherical, environmental organism, non-pathogenic, aerobic.

Pseudomonas fluorescens

Gram negative, rod shaped, produces green pigment, beneficial to plant growth.

Rhodococcus rhodochrous

Gram positive, aerobic, and non-motile, rod shaped or cocci-like cells, aerobic, pale orange to red appearance.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Eukaryotic, undergo sexual reproduction, ferments sugar into ethanol and carbon dioxide, unicellular, white to cream colored.

Sarcina aurantiaca

Gram positive, obligate anaerobic, cocci in cubical packets, orange-pigmented, non-pathogenic.

Serratia marcescens

Red through prodigiosin, rod shaped commonly found in damp environments, motile, negative for oxidase and methyl red tests but positive for nitrate reduction.

Spirillum volutans

Large, spiral shaped, gram negative, motile, non-pathogenic, microaerophilic.

Staphylococcus saprophyticus

Gram positive, appears as a cocci and forms in clusters, major cause of urinary tract infections, resistant to novobiocin.

Streptococcus salivarius

Gram positive cocci in chains, part of oral microbiota, catalase negative, facultative anaerobe.

Catalase

Breaks down toxic hydrogen peroxide into harmless water (bubbles form).

Bile Esculin Slant

Selects bile tolerant bacteria and differentiates bacteria that can convert esculin to esculitin (black color positive).

Mannitol Salt

Selective for halotolerant and differential to ferment mannitol (yellow).

Salt Broth

Selective for halotolerant (not clear is positive).

MH Agar

Species of staphylococci (larger than 16 mm).

Oxidase

Detects the presence of the cytochrome oxidase enzyme (purple is positive).

Citrate (Simmons Citrate)

Sodium citrate as a carbon source (blue is positive).

MR-VP

MR detects acid fermentation; VP detects acetoin (red for both MR & VP).

Sulfide, Indole, Motility (SIM)

Sulfide Hydrogen sulfide production, hydrolysis of Tryptophan for indole, motility is growth away from the center (black for S, red top layer, growth from the center is positives).

Nitrate Reduction

Nitrate to nitrite and produce nitrogen gas (bubbles or red after the first two solutions).

EMB Plate

Differentiates between lactose fermenting and non-fermenters (growth and green metallic sheen).

Carbohydrate

Acid and gases red (basic) yellow (acidic).

Oxygen Tolerance

Depends on the sketch.