Week 6: Observation

These past few lab periods, we placed different antimicrobial agents in a bacteria medium. After incubating them for two weeks, the bacteria grew and was visible. The places where the antimicrobial agents were placed each had a clear circle surrounding them. Each of the agents were different and had circles of different circumferences. The size of the circumference of the circle showed which agent was the most effective in stopping bacterial growth.

Although it was clear to see no growth around the microbial agents, one must go into further detail with the antimicrobial agent to determine if it was bacteriostatic or bactericidal. Bacteriostatic refers to bacteria-inhibiting and bactericidal refers to bacteria-killing. If it was bacteriostatic, no growth would've occurred because the microbial agent inhibited growth from the beginning. If it was bactericidal, bacteria would've grown like the rest of the plate but the agent would've killed whatever was surrounding it.