Monera Experiments
Introduction
The Monera kingdom consists of two phyla, Archaebacteria and Eubacteria. These bacteria are ever present in the environment, on the most unobtrusive of objects from seemingly clean hands to healthy coughs. In suitable conditions, bacteria will grow to form colonies, which can be organized through configurations, margins, and elevations. Bacteria cells vary among three shapes: coccus, bacillus, and spirillum. Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus are two common enough bacteria. E. coli “is a Gram negative rod-shaped bacterium […]. Most E. coli strains are harmless, but some can cause serious food poisoning in humans, and are occasionally responsible for product recalls” (Odonkor 2013). S. aureus “is a major human pathogen, and infections caused by S. aureus resulting significant morbidity and mortality” (Williamson 2011). Some antibiotics are able to interfere with protein synthesis: tetracycline, chloramphenicol, and erythromycin. Because of the very nature of bacteria, it is important to keep a sterile environment during experiments; aseptic technique is vital. Aseptic technique involves an especial attention to cleanliness in the experiment’s environment, and minimum exposure to anything that might
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The backs of each dish were separated into quadrants with a wax pencil. One dish was coated with E. coli and the other with S. aureus. Eight small paper circles were soaked in antimicrobial agents and each petri dish received four, one for each respective quadrant. The E. coli dish had the following antimicrobial agent soaked paper circles: antibacterial soap, alcohol, fennel, and bleach. The S. aureus dish had the following antimicrobial agent soaked paper circles: disinfectant, phenol, formaldehyde, and bleach. Aseptic technique was applied. The dishes were placed in an incubator for two days. The effect of the antimicrobial agents was measured in