Abstract

Bacteria can be found everywhere on the earth. Bacteria are single-celled organisms that lack a nucleus, mitochondria, and chloroplasts and are surrounded by a cell wall containing a peptidoglycan layer. They are defined by their small size and wide range of shapes. In this experiment, three sample from different places were used which are from floor, watch and wallet. At the starting of the experiment, there are given four Petri dishes that contain the medium of nutrient agar. The remaining Petri dish was used for control plate. The control plate was used to compare the existence of the bacteria. The control plate was set up inside the laminar flow while the others were set up in the open environment. Sterile cotton swab was used to take the sample. Different swab was used for different sample. The swab was wetted with distilled a few drop of distilled water before swabbing at the site. By using streaking technique, the sample is then streak at the given nutrient agar. The nutrient agar plate was sealed using parafilm tape. The plate was then inverted and being incubated for 24 hours. After 24 hours, the Petri dish was observed. The observation was recorded. The comparison was made between the control plate and the plate that contain the sample from three difference places. All the observations were recorded to be written in the experiment report.

Introduction : Bacteria can be found everywhere. They are so widespread that they can be found in such extreme environments as the top of mountains, the bottom of oceans and even the surface of our skin. Bacteria are single-celled microorganisms that can exist as independent organisms or in conjunction with a host as a parasite. A bacterium lacks a nucleus, mitochondria, and chloroplasts. However, it still manages to carry out respiration and photosynthesis. Bacteria are defined by their cell structure and small size. The phrase Ubiquity of bacteria, refer to the concept that bacteria or microorganism are everywhere. In our every common experience, microorganisms are virtually ubiquitous. They are inside the air we breathe, the foods we eat, and the water we drink. These microorganisms contaminate the surface of the object we use as well as the skin of our finger. The only place that do not contain microorganism are the place where we intentionally exclude them like our blood or cerebrospinal fluid. Theres a lot of energy used defense the immune that keep the fluid sterile. The person will get sick when the immune defense fall or fail to function. In the open environment, laminar flow can be said that dont have microorganism inside it. Thus, the entire things that want to be taken inside the laminar flow must be sterile first. During this experiment, the culture of bacteria is doing outside of the laminar flow. The nutrient agar is used as the medium of culturing the bacteria. Growth media may be liquid which called broth. Adding a gelatinous substance called agar to liquid medium results in solid medium like using in this experiment. Each bump that found on the agar surface is called a colony. The million of cell inside the colony are genetically-identical to one another due to the process of bacterial reproduction called binary fission.

Objective :

 To study the ubiquity of the bacteria. To prove that the bacteria exists in the surrounding. To investigate the abundance of bacteria in our local environment. To practice the basic lab protocols include the use of solid media, aseptic technique and streaking method.

Theory

Apparatus and materials :

Procedure:

Results : Observation

Image 5.1 Sample from floor

Image 5.2 Sample from wallet

Image 5.3 Sample from watch

Image 5.4 Controlled plate

Discussion

: 6

Microorganisms is an organism that can only be seen by brightfield microscope and it is impossible to view it by using naked eyes. While we cannot view it with naked eyes, they are present in virtually every habitat known to man. Bacteria can be found everywhere. They are so widespread that they can be found in such extreme environments as the top of mountains, the bottom of oceans and even the surface of our skin. In this experiment, all procedure will be conduct to prove the ubiquity of the bacteria or in other word, the presence of bacteria in surroundings. 4 plate were set whom sample of 3 different places and 1 constant. 3 places that been decide to be take the sample were bare floor, old wallet and everyday uses hand watch. At the end of the experiment, the existence of bacteria cannot be denied but the amount of bacteria that live in certain area are not always the same. For this experiment, the highest amount of bacteria presence is on the watch that being used daily by its user. The smallest amount of bacteria that being observed is on the surface of the floor. Both are different in which the highest is the gadget that being always being touch with our hand and the other one is just surface of the floor. From an article called Human Skin Alive With Bacteria there are more than 100 kind of bacteria that thriving in vibrant communities in our healthy skin than previously known. Eventhough those kind of bacteria that living on our skin are many, not all of them are dangerous and most of them actually are part of us. Hence there shouldnt be no such a suprising to have a big communities of bacteria on the watch that actually made a contact with its user almost everyday. This experiment did prove the ubiquity of bacteria whom living in our local environment. The phrase, Ubiquity of Microorganisms, refers to the concept that microorganisms are everywhere. In our everyday activities, microbes are virtually ubiquitous. They are in the air we breathe, the foods we eat, and the water we drink. Microorganisms contaminate the surfaces of objects that we use as well as the skin of our fingers. It is only difference in the matter of abundance of the bacteria that could differentiate them. Abundance means the frequency of bacteria that living in certain area. From the sample that taken from three different places, the abundance of bacteria does different where the watch that made the contact with its user everyday has the most abundance of bacteria while on the floor has the less abundance. There was a petri dish that filled with hot agar that being set to become the controlled plate. The controlled plate is a must in this experiment where it indicate the contamination on agar. Since there is no presence of bacteria on the agar in the controlled plate after 24 hours incubation, this indicate that the asceptic technique was being put into practice and there is no foreign microorganism that being cultured in the controlled plate. As the conclusion, all the bacteria that being cultured in the three plate were the bacteria from the surrounding and foreign microorganism was excluded.

Conclusion

For the conclusion, all the objectives are achieved. The first and second objective which are to study on ubiquity of bacteria and to prove that bacteria is exists at the surrounding were achieved where from sample from three different places, after 24 hours incubation, there are presence of bacteria on the agar that prove the ubiquity of bacteria is a fact. For the third objective, the abundance of bacteria at our local environment, the most abundance of bacteria shall be the sample taken from the watch and the less abundance is from the floor. All the method of sealing, incubating and asceptic technique were being put into practice during the procedure of this experiment.

Recommendation : In order to have more accurate result, avoid parallax error in handling the apparatus. Second, using preparation of petri dish which use as controlled olate, use asceptic technique to prevent contamination. The swab that being used to take sample from three different place must be used only once per place as it will effect on the result at the end of the experiment. Lastly, all the petri dish filled agar plus sample must be inverted before being incubate as a part of culturing procedure. References : 1) Stanley, S. & Martin, L.S (2010). Innovation in Light Microscope. New York. MicroscopyU 2) Daniel J. Denoon (2009). Human Skin Alive with Bacteria. WebMD 3) World of Bacteria. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104662183 4)