BacteriaQUESTIONS

PRE-LAB
1 Based on the scientific name Streptococcus agalactiae, what morphology would you expect
these cells to have?

It would be round because coccus means spherical.

2 Name at least three animal structures that would be analogous to bacterial flagella.

Flippers for whales, fins for fish, and joined legs for insects/vertebrates.

3 Hypothesize how over-washing of hands can affect the population of “good” bacteria that
resides on human skin.

The bacteria on our skin forms a sort of protective layer which prevents more dangerous
bacteria or viruses from entering the body. When we wash our hands too often, we destroy that
layer and become more vulnerable.
EXPERIMENT 1: IDENTIFYING AN UNKNOWN MICROORGANISM
Data Sheet Is it OA or FA

1 Insert your dichotomous key here.

OA FA

Is positive for the Is negative for the

gram staining test. gram staining test.

Is it positive on
the starch test?

Yes No

Bascillus Micrococcus
subtilus luteus
2 Write your microorganism number here: 3

3 Fill in the following table as you complete the interactive.

Test Observations
The bacteria has a distinct white glow and tests
Starch test
positive with the starch test.
The bacteria appear extremely dark so are
Gram staining
positive for gram staining.
Bacterial growths can be observed near the top
FTM of the test tube where the oxygen is located so
are Obligate Aerobe

4 What was the species of your assigned microorganism? Describe how you used your
dichotomous key to come to this conclusion. Include any relevant tests and how the results
helped you draw your conclusion.

I was given bacteria #3. The bacteria passed the starch test. The bacteria tested positive on the
gram staining test and showed that it was also rod shaped. During FTM, heavy growth could be
seen where the oxygen was located, therefor making it an Obligate Aerobe. Bascillus subtilus is
the only bacteria matching this description. Bacillus subtilus is positive for gram staining, the
starch test, is an Obligate Aerobe, and is rod shaped.