Lab 4271

Introduction:

Microorganisms are very diverse; they include bacteria, fungi, archaea, and protists; microscopic plants (green algae); and animals such as plankton and the planarian. Some microbiologists also include viruses, but others consider these as nonliving. Most microorganisms are unicellular (single-celled), but this is not universal, since some multicellular organisms are microscopic, while some unicellular protists and bacteria, like Thiomargarita namibiensis, are macroscopic and visible to the naked eye.

Microorganisms live in all parts of the biosphere where there is liquid water, including soil, hot springs, on the ocean floor, high in the atmosphere and deep inside rocks within the Earth's crust. Microorganisms are critical to nutrient recycling in ecosystems as they act as decomposers. As some microorganisms can fix nitrogen, they are a vital part of the nitrogen cycle, and recent studies indicate that airborne microbes may play a role in precipitation and weather.

Microbes are also exploited by people in biotechnology, both in traditional food and beverage preparation, and in modern technologies based on genetic engineering. However, pathogenic microbes are harmful, since they invade and grow within other organisms, causing diseases that kill humans, other animals and plants.

The procedure to determine microorganisms ;

Air - Leave the molten agar plate prepared exposed to environment for 5 minutes and incubate at 37 Degree Celcius for 48hours.

Hands - Wash hand using sterile water without using soap. Transfer 1mL of the wash water into petri dish. Add molten agar to the petri dish. Incubate the dish at 37 Degree Celcius for 48hours.

Ear - Using extreme care, rub a sterile swab moistened with sterile isotonic solution into ear. Inoculate the agar plate with the swab.

Normal breathing - Remove the lid and hold the plate about 15cm from subject mouth. Breathe normally but directly into the plate for one minute. Incubate the dish at 37 Degree Celcius for 48hours.

Violent coughing - cough violently into the agar plate. Incubate the dish at 37 Degree Celcius for 48hours.

Objectives:

To determine the microorganism in the air and from healthy humans.

Results:

AIR

HAND

EAR

NORMAL BREATHING

VIOLENT CAUGHING

Discussion:

Airborne Molecular Contamination (AMC) is chemical contamination in the form of vapors or aerosols that has a detrimental effect on a product or a process. These chemicals may be organic or inorganic in nature and includes acids, bases, polymer additives, organometallic compounds and dopants. The main sources for AMC are building and cleanroom construction materials, general environment, process chemicals and operating personnel.

Airborne droplet nuclei generated during coughing or sneezing are a potential source of transmission of infection either by direct inhalation or indirectly through contaminated medical devices. Droplets generated from infected respiratory tracts can remain airborne for long periods of time and transmit infections like tuberculosis, respiratory viral illnesses and antibiotic-resistant hospital bacteria.

Airborne contamination is mainly derived from the personnel in the operation theatre and their activities. The bacterial count in operation theatre is influenced by the number of individuals present, ventilation and air flow.

Ear wax is composed mostly of dead skin cells and keratin with a small mixture of cerumen, sweat, and oil. Cerumen is secreted from the ceruminous glands located in the first third outer part of the ear canal and is thought to be composed mainly of cholesterol, squalene, wax esters, ceramides, and triglycerides.

The cerumen also has antimicrobial properties which can be attributed to its slight acidic pH of 5 and the presence of lysozyme. In normal circumstances, the ear wax is continuously pushed out of the ear canal

by the slow migration of the top layer of skin cells from the tympanic membrane towards the outer ear. The ear wax traps any foreign particles and organisms on its way out.

Frequent coughing usually indicates the presence of a disease. Many viruses and bacteria benefit evolutionarily by causing the host to cough, which helps to spread the disease to new hosts. Most of the time, coughing is caused by a respiratory tract infection but can be triggered by choking, smoking, air pollution, asthma,gastroesophageal reflux disease, post-nasal drip, chronic bronchitis, lung tumors, heart failure and medications such as ACE inhibitors. A cough can be the result of arespiratory tract infection such as the common cold,pneumonia, pertussis, or tuberculosis. Infections in the breathing tubes can be caused by both bacteria and viruses, although the most common cause in children is a virus.

A normal breathing rate is approximately 12 to 20 respirations per minute while at rest. This means that the person will breathe in and out 12 to 20 times during a 60 second period. When counting, make sure to count a breath in and out as one breath to avoid doubling the respiratory number. It is helpful to count a breathing rate when the person is relaxed and is unaware that you are watching her breathing pattern because most people will begin to focus on breathing and disrupt the natural flow if they know that someone is counting the breaths per minute. Normal breathing is typically quiet without wheezes, coughing, bubbling sounds, or other noises. Breath odor is the scent of the air you breathe out of your mouth. Unpleasant, distinctive, or offensive breath odor is commonly called bad breath. Some disorders will produce specific, characteristic odors to the breath. Bad breath related to poor oral hygiene is most common and caused by release of sulphur compounds by bacteria in the mouth.

Conclusion:

Bacteria are everywhere and can spread from surface to surface, person to person, food to food, and person to food. Harmful bacteria can be controlled by practicing the 4Cs of food safety. To prevent the spread of harmful bacteria, proper cleaning of both hands and surfaces is especially important. The good thing is that not all bacteria are harmful; most bacteria are beneficial to us.
When designing experiments, you should always use safe techniques when working with bacteria. Also, it's important to have a control plate. In this experiment, you also learned that different strains of bacteria can be identified through colony morphology.

References: