Microflora is nowadays being considered as a misnomer as the term Microbiota is becoming more common in parlance.
Table of Contents
- Introduction to Presence of Microflora
- Principle for demonstrating the presence of Microflora
- Requirement
- Method
- Observation
- Conclusion
Introduction to Presence of Microflora :
It is known fact that microorganisms are ubiquitous, they present in air, water, soil and surface of animate and inanimate objects. When microbes are present in air, they are in the form of aerosols and hence called as bioaerosols. The bioaerosols are formed from microbes, solid particles or liquid droplets and are suspended in the air. These microbes can travel long distance via wind. The given experiment aims to test the presence of microbes in the air.
Principle for demonstrating the presence of Microflora:
The microbes present in the air can be grown on nutrient media. When nutrient media is exposed to air, the microbes get settle on the surface of media and multiply and form visible colony.
Requirement:
Alcohol
Nutrient Media
- Agar – 15gm/L
- Peptone – 5 gm/L
- Beef extract – 3 gm/L
- Sodium Chloride – 5 gm/L
- pH – 7.4 ± 0.2
Method –
- Weigh the above ingredients as per mentioned in the materials.
- The enlist ingredients are dissolved in 800 ml and it be boiled using Bunsen burner and then volume is made up 1 Litre.
- The ingredients are mixed properly by using magnetic stirrer.
- The pH is checked and adjusted to 7.4 ± 0.2 by using acid or alkali.
- The media is then autoclaved at 121° C for 20 min.
- The autoclaved media is poured in the sterile petri plates.
- Once the petri plates are cooled, its lid is open and exposed to air for 5 min.
- The lid is closed and incubated in the incubator for 24 hours at 37° C.
Observation: After incubation, the bacterial colonies are observed.
Result: The sterile petri plate with nutrient media were exposed to air and then incubated. The microbes in air multiplied in the nutrient agar and produced colonies.
Conclusion: This experiment concludes that microbes are present in air.
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