SCHOOL OF FOOD SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH

Laboratory Report

Microbes are everywhere

 School of Food Science and Environmental Health Laboratory Report.

Module Code and Title: TFMB 1001 Basic Microbiology

Lecturer: Abdul Al-Amidi
Experiment Title: Microbes are everywhere
Experiment Date: 09/10/2019
Submission Date: 23/11/2019

Olga Ciudin
Student name(s) and number:
D19757639
 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
The natural environment is populated with many microorganisms which are
suspended in the air, water, and associated with other organisms (e.g humans). The aim of
this experiment is to prove that microbes are found everywhere, on our body and in all the
environment we live. Using specialized media for growing microbes, and physiochemical
conditions, microorganisms therefore can rapidly multiply forming a colony, which is visible
to the naked eye.

INTRODUCTION:

Microorganisms, or microbes, are very small organisms often single celled that are
invisible to the naked eye. Microbes can be found everywhere, they are on and in our bodies,
and in the food and water we drink and in the air we breathe. . Microorganisms are also
prevalent inside us. While we like to consider of ourselves as being made up of human cells,
we are actually 90% microbial: there are 10 times more cells from microorganisms in our
bodies than human being cells. That means there are trillions of microorganisms living inside
us every day. Most are helpful to us, such as bacteria that help us digest our food. Scientists
now think that a assortment of microorganisms inside of us help us resist many diseases.
Many of the bacteria in the body play an important role in human survival. Bacteria in the
digestive system break down nutrients, such as complex sugars, into forms the body can use.
Non-hazardous bacteria also help prevent diseases by occupying places that the pathogenic,
or disease-causing, bacteria want to attach to. Some bacteria defend us from illnesses by
attacking the pathogens. (Seladi, 2019).
Bacteria play an important role in food and beverage industry. Foods typically
contain a variety of bacteria of which some may be beneficial, such as those preserving
foods through products of fermentation, and others may be harmful by causing human
illness or food spoilage. Lactic acid bacteria are amongst the most significant groups of
microorganisms used in food fermentations. Starter cultures, which are largely comprised
of lactic acid bacteria, are food-grade microorganisms that are used to produce fermented
foods of desirable appearance, body, texture, and flavour. Types of fermented foods for
which commercial starter cultures are currently used include dairy products (cheese, sour
cream, and yogurt), meat products (sausages), and vegetable products (pickles, sauerkraut,
olives). The production of alcohol is based primarily on yeast fermentation. Yeasts are
eukaryotic microorganisms that ferment variety of sugars from different sources into the final
products of carbon dioxide and alcohol. (Jianghong, 2015).
Moreover, microbes have been harnessed to manufacture many clinically important
compounds such as vaccines and antibiotics. Antibiotics are microbial poisons made
paradoxically by microbes. Antibiotics arise as a consequence of reserve competition. To
minimize competition some microbes produce antibiotics to restrict the growth of other
microbes. While antibiotics are used to treat microbial infections, vaccines are used to
prevent infections. Vaccines can work by using parts of the pathogen or a whole inactive
pathogen to stimulate the immune system. (Lister, 2019)

MATERIAL AND METHODS

In the following experiment there was used 2 types of nutrients: nutrient Agar and
molten extract Agar.
Method as per manual

RESULTS

Table 1: Growth results from Nutrient agar plates and Molten Extract Agar
plates, for detection of bacteria, fungi and moulds
Environment / Body Environment / Body

Mobile Phone Earrings Door handle Cheek

Nutrient Agar (NA) Molten Extract Agar

For bacterial growth For the cultivation of fungi and moulds
Number of colonies Number of colonies
Yellow colour 13
Milky 1 large Yellow 35 2 40
White 50 small White 200
DISCUSSION

Table 1 demonstrates the characteristics of the most prominent microorganisms

visible in agar plates, one to detect bacteria and other fungi and moulds. Therefore, it can be
stated that there was observed 1 large colony of bacteria and other 50 small colonies on the
personal mobile phone, which was chosen as an environment object. Most bacterial colonies
appeared in white or creamy yellow in colour. Consequently, the large amount of grown
bacteria taken from mobile phone, are as a result of close contact with contaminated human
body areas with hands to hands, and hands to other areas like mouth, nose and ears, which
may result in colonization of potential pathogens present on the human skin, on the mobile
phones.
The other half of the agar nutrient sample for detection of bacteria was the swab
sample of personal earrings. As a result, there was found 35 colonies of bacteria in a
predominant yellow colour, and other 200 colonies, which appeared in a white tone, and
slightly smaller in dimensions than the first set of bacterial colonies. The large amount of
detected bacteria was due to moist conditions and temperature. As well skin irritation made
matters worse.
The second plate was using the Molten extract Agar nutrient, and swabbing door
handle and from the cheek. These were used to detect any fungi or moulds both on the
environment object and body. The results show that there was found 2 small colonies of fungi
on the door handle and other 40 small colonies in the body cheek. Therefore, it can be
concluded that because humidity is one the best condition to grow for fungi, these grown and
multiplied in larger quantities in the human cheek, than on the door handle. As well, it can be
stated that specific microorganisms from door handle did not like the nutrient itself, in order
to grow and multiply, despite of several favourable conditions, for growing and development.
CONCLUSION

In conclusion to this experiment, there can be stated microbes are everywhere, and in this
case in environment and human body. This activity allowed to discover that microbes are found in
a range of different habitats, to explore the variety of microorganisms around us and to compare the
range of microorganisms that are found in different places.
Bibliography
Jianghong, M. M. (2015). Bacteria in Food and Beverage Production. In The Prokaryotes. Berlin:
Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.

Lister, I. (2019). https://bitesizebio.com/27940/world-microbes-part-1-antibiotics-vaccines/.

Retrieved October 21, 2019, from https://bitesizebio.com: https://bitesizebio.com/27940/world-
microbes-part-1-antibiotics-vaccines/

Seladi, J. (2019, February 12). What are bacteria and what do they do? Retrieved October 21, 2019,
from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/157973.php