Match the terms to the correct descriptions on the cellular respiration diagram. (4 pts)
Complete the table below on the laboratory tests used to determine the oxygen requirements of microorganisms. As an example, the requested information for the first test is completed for you. (3 pts)
Test Description Media components or system design Indicator Incubation temperature (C) Results
1 Motility Test Medium (MTM) Nutrient agar deeps with a concentration gradient of oxygen Triphenol tretrazolium (TTC) can be added better visualize the growth patterns. 37 Aerobes will be found growing at the surface of the tube and sometimes along the stab line when oxygen is introduced during inoculation.
Obligate anaerobes will be found near the bottom of the tube.
Facultative anaerobes will grow throughout the tube, but because more ATP is produced aerobically growth is heaviest at the surface.
Microaerophile will be found growing near the narrow region where oxygen concentration is limited.
2 Brewer’s Anaerobic Agar (BAA)
3 Anaerobic Jar
4 Candle Jar
Draw what a positive and negative result would look like for Tests 1-4. (4 pts)
Complete the table below on the laboratory tests used to determine the respiration capability of a microorganism. Some of the requested information is completed for you. (3 pts)
Test Description Terminal electron acceptor Terminal enzyme Medium, reagent Incubation temperature (C) Incubation time Results
1 Oxidase test Tryptic soy agar (TSA), OxiDrop 24 – 48 hours
2 Catalase test Oxygen N/A
3 Nitrate reductase test N/A 37
Draw what a positive and negative result would look like for Tests 1-3. (3 pts)
Review Questions (5 pts)
- In an agar deep, how would you distinguish the growth pattern of an aerotolerant anaerobe from that of a facultative anaerobe?
- Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a foodborne pathogen and can cause serious illness in humans by producing toxins that can severely damage the lining of intestines and kidneys. What are the oxygen requirements of E. coli? What result would you observe in the MTM agar deep test? Explain. Research on the growth requirements of this bacterium is required.
- What is the role of oxygen and cytochrome c oxidase in aerobic respiration?
- Why does the nitrate reduction tube turn red after the addition of zinc?
- Clostridium tetani is a common soil bacterium and causes tetanus. Would you expect C. tetani to possess the enzyme catalase? Explain.
Application Question (3 pts)
Soil microorganisms, collectively referred to as dizotrophs, fix 90% of the inert nitrogen gas to ammonium and nitrate. There are two-main types of nitrogen-fixing bacteria: free-living (nonsymbiotic) and mutualistic (symbiotic). Describe the mutualistic relationship between Rhizobium and legumes. What is the advantage of using legumes as a cover crop in agricultural systems?
A point of interest is that the nitrogenase enzyme complex is highly sensitive to oxygen. This is a major problem for free-living aerobic species such as cyanobacteria and species of the genera Azotobacter and Beijerinckia. Describe two ways the bacteria can overcome to levels of oxygen in their cells.
Sample Solution