Ubiquity of Microorganisms:

Microorganisms are ubiquitous; that is, they are present nearly everywhere.  In this lab you will try to isolate bacteria and other microorganisms from various sources using different types of media.

Procedure

Please view the Ubiquity of Microorganisms Procedure

Results

TSA Swab Plate

Observe the TSA plates for colonies of various sizes, shapes and colors.  Each bacterial or fungal species gives a characteristic colony color and morphology. Pick three colonies from either of the TSA plates and describe the colony color and morphology. 

Here are some examples from the bottom of a shoe.

TSA plate with multiple bacterial colonies TSA plate with multiple bacterial colonies

TSA Cough Plate 

Observe the growth from your cough plate. Think about why aseptic technique is important.

TSA plate with lots of small white coloniesTSA plate with lots of small white colonies

Nutrient Broth Tube 

Also observe the cloudiness (turbidity) of your nutrient broth tube and estimate the number of bacteria per milliliter. 

broth tube with turbid growth