Lab Equipment & Media

Question 1

Medium/media

Answer 1

Microbial “food” - supplies nutrients to permit the growth of microbes.

Question 2

Broths

Answer 2

Liquid media

Question 3

Solid media/agar

Answer 3

Broth + solidifying agent.

Question 4

Broth tube

Answer 4

Broth contained in a test tube, used to grow microorganisms.

Question 5

Agar deep

Answer 5

Liquid agar prepared and poured into a test tube then autoclave. Permitted to solidify while in an upright position.

Question 6

Agar slant

Answer 6

Agar deep, tilted at an angle creating a “ramp” or slant with large surface area.

Question 7

Petri dish/agar plates

Answer 7

Used to grow bacteria or fungi in isolated colonies; made from plastic and not reusable.

Question 8

Inoculating loop

Answer 8

Used to transfer microbes from one place to another; ideal for transferring small volumes of liquid media or cultures.

Question 9

Inoculating needle

Answer 9

Used to transfer microbes from one place to another; used to “stab” microbes into butts of agar slants/deeps.

Question 10

Serological pipettes & pipette pumps

Answer 10

Glass or plastic pipettes used to measure and transfer specific volumes of liquids, including transfer of liquid microbial cultures.
1mL pipettes = blue pumps
5-25mL pipettes = green pumps

Question 11

Pasteur pipettes and bulbs

Answer 11

Delicate glass pipettes used to transfer small volumes of liquid/liquid microbial cultures.

Question 12

Bunsen burner

Answer 12

Used to incinerate contaminating microbes on heat resistant lab equipment.

Question 13

Slide warmers

Answer 13

Used to dry slides/speed evaporation of fluid from smears. (Set between 40-50 degrees)

Question 14

Incubators

Answer 14

Used to maintain stable temperatures at which microbes can grow. (30 and 37 degrees)

Question 15

Water baths

Answer 15

Used to incubate samples at varying temperatures, temperatures can be adjusted for different experiments.

Question 16

Safety fume/hood

Answer 16

Used to remove potentially toxic fumes; waste containers for toxic liquids are in the safety hood.

Question 17

What is sterile or aseptic technique.

Answer 17

Techniques that are used to prevent introduction of undesired environmental, “contaminating” microbes

Question 18

How can one determine that a broth tube has been contaminated.

Answer 18

Turbidity is an indicator or possible microbial contamination.

Question 19

Aerobic

Answer 19

Air/oxygen is present; surface of agar is aerobic.

Question 20

Anaerobic

Answer 20

Air/molecular oxygen is absent; bottom of the tube is a aerobic.