Actinomycetes

Following the enrichment of Actinomycetes your plate may smell like dirt. What is the name for the class of moelcules responsible for this smell?

Geosmins (which are polycyclic carbohydrates)

Name two morphological characteristics of the Actinomycetes colonies that we can use to identify them

1) They grow individual filamentous structures called hyphae that can grow into a large tangled mass called mycelliun

2) When starved (specifically streptomyces) they grow aerial hyphae which can differentiate into dark pigments called conida.

Streptomyces grow aerial mycelium and "beaded" appearance of sporospores which can have fully developed

Conida