Bug Bullet What makes antibiotics special is not just their ability to kill bacteria. After all, cyanide and soap kill bacteria just fine. The important thing about antibiotics is that they exert their destructive effects on bacteria without harming their human or animal host, even if taken internally. “We could hardly believe our eyes on seeing that bacteria could be killed off without at the same time killing the patient. It was not just amazement, it was a revolution.”…
2 Why are penicillins often more effective against Gram positive bacteria than Gram negative bacteria?…
antibiotic, such as penicillin, to restrain gram positive organisms from growing, although the antibiotic may slightly…
The purpose of this lab is to successfully infiltrate E. coli bacterial cells with a pARA-R plasmid that is antibiotic resistant and has the rfp gene, or red fluorescent protein. This can be verified if the E. coli obtains the characteristics of the plasmid when it enters. To start, three Petri plates containing agar are needed. On each plate there is a control group and a treatment group; the treatment group being the one with the plasmid. Before the plasmid is put with the E. coli, first the bacteria are “stressed out” by warming them up in a hot water bath and cooling them down very rapidly in ice. The first plate consists of Luria Broth (LB), the second plate consists of LB and the antibiotic ampicillin (amp), and the last one contains LB, amp, and the sugar arabinose (ara). The bacterial cells are subjected to a heat shock and then are placed onto the three plates. The plasmid is spread on to only half of the first two plates, on the sides of the treatment group. Half of the E. coli get the plasmids and the other half do not (that side being the control group). On the third plate the plasmids are spread on the whole plate. The bacteria are left in an…
Escherichia coli is a heterotrophic bacteria that is most commonly found within the small intestines of humans and other animals. This bacteria survives by getting its nutrition through ingesting unused or undigested nutrients in the bowels of its host. If ingested by humans or other mammals, E. coli causes food poisoning and serious infection. There are currently many different strains of E. coli and every living human carries at least one of them in their intestines. Although most strains are harmless there are a few that cause serious ailment. E. coli is a gram negative bacterial cell that consists of a very thin exterior membrane that covers a layer of peptidoglycan and ends with another thin membrane. E. coli is a bacillus or rod shaped, chemoheterotrophic bacteria cell that respires with anaerobic respiration using inorganic materials. E. coli is also a prokaryotic cell that reproduces asexually through binary fission for reproduction instead of meiosis.…
Antibiotics are chemicals that we use to treat infection, often bacterial infections. They work by either killing the bacteria or by stopping them dividing and growing. Some work by interfering with enzymes that are essential in the replication of genetic material (either DNA or RNA) in the bacterial cells or in protein synthesis. Some work just by blocking the sites where enzymes usually join to the substrate, so they can’t join on and catalyse the reaction.…
Antibiotics are drugs that kill bacteria, fungi, and parasites. Alexander Fleming discovered the first antibiotic by serendipity. Most antibiotics work by preventing the cell wall from producing peptoglycan. There are two types of antibiotics. The first is bacteriocidal.It kills the bacteria directly. The second is bacteriostatic. This method stops the bacteria from multiplying.…
On November 14, 2012, Rita Bernstein visited Bergen Community College to talk about Escherichia Coli O157:H7. Escherichia coli or better known as E.coli is a tube-shaped bacterium that is found in the stomachs of warm-blooded animals. O157:H7 is a member of the E.coli family, which produces shiga toxin, and are capable of producing bloody diarrhea. E.coli O157:H7 attacks red blood cells, it interrupts flow of oxygen, and it breaks down walls of vessels.…
The Escherichia Coli bacterium was discovered in 1885 by bacteriologist Theodor Escherich. He found the bacteria in the human colon and showed that some strains of Escherichia Coli were responsible for infant diarrhea and gastroenteritis. The Escherichia Coli was originally named Bacterium Coli. The name was changed to honor Theodor Escherich. E coli are normally harmless and are part of the normal flora found in the lower intestines of humans and healthy cattle. Some E. coli serotypes are known to cause serious food poisoning in humans.…
• Antibiotics kill bacteria by either preventing bacteria from making cell walls, preventing bacteria from making complete proteins, or damaging the plasma membrane.…
Society is fed the idea that in order to be healthy, one must consume or use these antibacterial or antibiotic products prophylactically. Antibacterial products are ideally used to protect oneself from the so called “harmful bacteria,” when in reality the products “kill susceptible bacteria and promote the growth of resistant strains” (Levy 1998b, 48). Society is producing the opposite of their desired results, and in the long run cause bacteria to become more resistant and abundant due to their lack of competition. What needs to be taking into consideration is the issue that these products are not only killing bacteria they deemed harmful, but also those susceptible bacteria that are helpful and…
Purpose: The purpose of this lab was to determine the effectiveness of certain antibiotics and determine their zone of inhibition…
One of the main responsibilities of a medical lab is to determine the identity of pathogenic bacteria. It is important to determine the specific type of bacterium causing disease so the physician is able to correctly treat the patients. The structure of bacteria plays a crucial role of what antibiotics works and which do not. The chemical reaction of the bacteria is also important. Most antibiotics alter or inhibit protein structure, inhibit transcription, inhibit translation, affect cell membrane structure, or alter cell-wall synthesis (1). Bacterial resistance is another pertinent medical reason for identification. The evolution of bacterial resistance has made treatment of diseases much more difficult. Therefore, it is important to know the chemistry, structure, and resistance of the pathogenic bacteria.…
In a clinical setting signs and symptoms can lead a care taker down a treatment path, but if a bacterial infection is suspected, a definitive answer from the “lab” is needed before prescribing medications. In this instance a yellow sputum was produced by the patient, which will be taken to the lab an analyzed under a microscope.…
In 2013, a study on bacterial E. Coli was performed, by Jabus G. Tyerman, to observe how the bacteria reacted with different types of antibiotics. This study was performed over a 60-day period in order for the researchers to obtain some significant data. The…