Lab Report
Introduction:
During this unknown lab report various test were performed to differentiate microbes from each other and to compare metabolic and biochemical process.
The gram stain distinguishes between Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria based on the composition of the cell wall. The Gram stain procedure distinguishes between Gram positive and Gram negative groups by coloring these cells red or violet. Gram positive bacteria stain violet due to the presence of a thick layer of peptidoglycan in their cell walls, which retains the crystal violet these cells are stained with. Gram negative bacteria stain red, because it has a thinner peptidoglycan wall and does not retain the crystal violet during the de-coloring process. The gram staining technique was also used to form distinctive cell morphologies because cell shape is generally specific to bacterial species. (Tortora, Funke)
The next test that was performed was the Carbohydrate fermentation broth test. The reason for doing this test was to identify the bacteria by determining what nutrients they can utilize and what end products will be produced in the process. “Sugars such as glucose will undergo "fermentation" when it acts as an electron donor, such as in glycolysis, and one of its metabolic products (such as pyruvate) acts as an electron acceptor in a fermentation reaction”. Most sugars other than glucose are said to undergo fermentation" when it is either hydrolyzed into glucose or converted into glucose or both and then the glucose is fermented. (Holt, J.G.)
The cytochrome oxidase test was used to identify the organisms that produced the enzyme cytochrome oxidase. Cytochrome oxidase participates in the electron transport chain by transferring electrons from a donor molecule to oxygen. Only aerobic bacteria normally have this enzyme. This test is used to distinguish between aerobic and anaerobic metabolism. (Tortora, Funke)
During this unknown lab report various test were performed to differentiate microbes from each other and to compare metabolic and biochemical process.
The gram stain distinguishes between Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria based on the composition of the cell wall. The Gram stain procedure distinguishes between Gram positive and Gram negative groups by coloring these cells red or violet. Gram positive bacteria stain violet due to the presence of a thick layer of peptidoglycan in their cell walls, which retains the crystal violet these cells are stained with. Gram negative bacteria stain red, because it has a thinner peptidoglycan wall and does not retain the crystal violet during the de-coloring process. The gram staining technique was also used to form distinctive cell morphologies because cell shape is generally specific to bacterial species. (Tortora, Funke)
The next test that was performed was the Carbohydrate fermentation broth test. The reason for doing this test was to identify the bacteria by determining what nutrients they can utilize and what end products will be produced in the process. “Sugars such as glucose will undergo "fermentation" when it acts as an electron donor, such as in glycolysis, and one of its metabolic products (such as pyruvate) acts as an electron acceptor in a fermentation reaction”. Most sugars other than glucose are said to undergo fermentation" when it is either hydrolyzed into glucose or converted into glucose or both and then the glucose is fermented. (Holt, J.G.)
The cytochrome oxidase test was used to identify the organisms that produced the enzyme cytochrome oxidase. Cytochrome oxidase participates in the electron transport chain by transferring electrons from a donor molecule to oxygen. Only aerobic bacteria normally have this enzyme. This test is used to distinguish between aerobic and anaerobic metabolism. (Tortora, Funke)