Control by Antibiotics and Antiseptics Lab Report
Control by Antibiotics and Antiseptics Lab Report
Georgia State University
Introduction
The fact that each bacterial species, and even some of their respective strains, responds uniquely to a given antimicrobial makes it necessary to have methods, which provide researchers and clinicians with measurable susceptibilities. This need has become prevalent since the rising of later generations of antimicrobial compounds achieved by chemical modifications of the naturally occurring antibiotics. By utilizing the Kirby-Bauer method, researchers and clinicians are able to determine the susceptibility of given microorganisms to different antibiotics and antimicrobials. While antibiotics specifically target bacteria, antimicrobials cast a wide net, nonspecifically targeting microorganisms and viruses. During this lab, we tested the effects of both antimicrobials and antibiotics on different bacterial cultures. By creating different lawns of bacteria and placing on each of them disks soaked in different antibiotics and antimicrobials, we were able to observe the susceptibility of the differing bacteria to several agents. This process that we practiced is the Kirby-Bauer method. As stated before, antibiotics and antimicrobials serve differing purposes. Antibiotics are substances, usually in the form of medication, that destroy bacteria or inhibit the growth of bacteria. On the other hand, antimicrobials act in destroying or inhibiting the growth of all microorganisms. One type of antimicrobial is an antiseptic, which acts to reduce the presence of microorganisms without harming living animal tissue (El-Mayas, 2013). It is important to note that while we were able to measure the susceptibility of these agents, we cannot conclude that resistance is present because further investigations would have to be conducted to determine if the microorganism has developed a metabolic capability to withstand the agent’s mechanisms and effects (Maxwell, 2013).
We observed
Georgia State University
Introduction
The fact that each bacterial species, and even some of their respective strains, responds uniquely to a given antimicrobial makes it necessary to have methods, which provide researchers and clinicians with measurable susceptibilities. This need has become prevalent since the rising of later generations of antimicrobial compounds achieved by chemical modifications of the naturally occurring antibiotics. By utilizing the Kirby-Bauer method, researchers and clinicians are able to determine the susceptibility of given microorganisms to different antibiotics and antimicrobials. While antibiotics specifically target bacteria, antimicrobials cast a wide net, nonspecifically targeting microorganisms and viruses. During this lab, we tested the effects of both antimicrobials and antibiotics on different bacterial cultures. By creating different lawns of bacteria and placing on each of them disks soaked in different antibiotics and antimicrobials, we were able to observe the susceptibility of the differing bacteria to several agents. This process that we practiced is the Kirby-Bauer method. As stated before, antibiotics and antimicrobials serve differing purposes. Antibiotics are substances, usually in the form of medication, that destroy bacteria or inhibit the growth of bacteria. On the other hand, antimicrobials act in destroying or inhibiting the growth of all microorganisms. One type of antimicrobial is an antiseptic, which acts to reduce the presence of microorganisms without harming living animal tissue (El-Mayas, 2013). It is important to note that while we were able to measure the susceptibility of these agents, we cannot conclude that resistance is present because further investigations would have to be conducted to determine if the microorganism has developed a metabolic capability to withstand the agent’s mechanisms and effects (Maxwell, 2013).
We observed
Cited: El-Mayas, H. (Presenter). (2013, September 26). Humans of the microbial world. Lecture presented at Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA. Maxwell, R. (2013). Control by Antibiotics and Antiseptics. Retrieved October 10, 2013, from http://www.bologsu.us/BOLO/course/view.php?id=3§ion=7