MICROBIOLOGY AND PARASITOLOGYLaboratory

Lab Lesson 7
Microorganisms from the Environment
In natural environment microorganisms exist as one component of a vast and complex
Most microbiological studies in the laboratory deal with properties of pure cultures and with
changes brought about by a single species. In nature, however, isolated species, either
animal, plants or microbial, are rare. The survival and activities of each species usually depend
upon the activities of innumerable other species, some beneficial, some competitive, and some
antagonistic.
The kind of beneficial relationship or mutualism include symbiosis, in which two or more
species are mutually dependent on one another, syntrophism, in which a mutual exchange of
benefits between two species obtains but the relationship is not obligatory, and commensalisms,
in which one species benefits while the second is unaffected.
Antagonistic relationships include antibiosis, in which one species produces substances
toxic to one or more other species, parasitism, in which one species lives and feeds on a host
species, pathogenicity, in which a parasite causes injury to its host, and predation, in which
members of one species attack or destroy members of another species.

ACTIVITIES
Objective
At the end of the exercise the student will be able to recognize the omnipresence of
microorganisms in the environment and be able to isolate them.

Materials(per group)
2 trypticase soy agar plates,1 sabouraud’s dextrose agar, 1 cotton swab, loop

Procedure
I. Microorganisms from Inanimate Surfaces
1. Wipe the surface of the object assigned to your group with a sterile cotton swab.
Each group should sample different areas in the building.
2. Streak the swab in a rolling manner on the surface of trypticase soy agar.
3. Label the agar properly with your group number, source of specimen, section and
incubate at 35OC.

II. Microorganisms in the Air

Sabouraud Dextrose Agar - medium for the selective isolation of yeasts and
molds.Introduced by Sabouraud in 1910 as a selective medium for fungi and yeasts. The
acidic pH (5.6) of this medium inhibits many species of bacteria. Because of its low pH
this medium is very sensitive to overheating which will soften the agar and caramelise
the carbohydrate.
1. Obtain a plate of Sabouraud’s agar.
2. Open the lid of the petri dish and leave it expose for 5 minutes.
3. Cover the agar plate and incubate at room temperature. Label fully.

III. Microorganisms in the Water

1. Using a sterilized loop, fish out a loopful of water sample taken from the drinking
faucet.
2. Streak the loop in the trypticase soy agar plate in 4 quadrants.
3. Label the agar plate, incubate until the next period.

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Lab Lesson 7: Microorganisms from the Environment
MICROBIOLOGY AND PARASITOLOGYLaboratory

Microorganisms from Inanimate Surfaces

Bacterial from water

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Lab Lesson 7: Microorganisms from the Environment
MICROBIOLOGY AND PARASITOLOGYLaboratory

Microorganisms in the Air

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Lab Lesson 7: Microorganisms from the Environment
MICROBIOLOGY AND PARASITOLOGYLaboratory

Name: Nikka Junine Y. Paular Score: ____________________

Lab Schedule: BBA TTH 7:30-10:30am Term/Date: ___________________

Lab Report 7 Microorganisms from the

Environment
I. Microorganisms from inanimate surfaces
Describe the appearance of the colonies on the nutrient
agar plate. Examine and compare the plates of the other group.

Description:

The agar plate that contains a specimen from the inanimate surfaces have different types of
microorganisms. Since the colonies have different size (usually measured in millimeters or
described in relative terms such as pinpoint, small, medium, large), color, shape (includes form,
elevation, and margin of the colony margin), and surface appearance (e.g., glistening, opaque,
dull, dry, transparent). It might have 2-5 types of microorganism. Just like the colony from the
plate that contains microorganism from air and water, this plate also contains yellowish pinpoint
size and also there’s a circular shape and filamentous shape colony in this plate.

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Lab Lesson 7: Microorganisms from the Environment
MICROBIOLOGY AND PARASITOLOGYLaboratory

II. Microorganisms in the Air

Describe the colonies that developed on the agar surface

Description:

For the agar plate with a specimen from

the air, it also has different types of
microorganisms. Because its sizes,
shape, color and surface appearance
also differ from each other. There is a
black/brown circular shape colony,
yellowish pinpoint colony, and a
filamentous colony. The colony have
growth into media as well.

C. Microorganisms in the Water

Describe the colonies that developed on the agar surface

Description:

As for the agar plate with a specimen of

water, the colonies that grow have almost
the same size and color, it all have a
pinpoint size and a pale yellow to yellow
color, which seems like it contains only
one microorganism

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Lab Lesson 7: Microorganisms from the Environment