General characteristics of Staphylococci
Staphylococci are gram-positive cocci arranged in cluster (grape-like fashion). The genus name, Staphylococcus, is derived from the Greek term staphle, meaning “bunches of grapes.” On gram stained smears, they appear…
Methods/Ways/Media that can inhibit swarming of Proteus
There are various methods/ways/media to inhibit swarming of Proteus spp. We can either increase the concentration of agar ( w/v) or incorporate growth inhibitors like chloral hydrate (1 in 500),…
Normal flora of skin
Skin provides good examples of various microenvironments. Skin can be compared to geographic regions of earth: the desert of the forearm, the cool woods of the scalp, and the tropical…
Normal flora
By Normal flora, we mean the population of microorganisms residing in the skin and mucous membranes of healthy normal individuals without causing any harm to them. There are more numbers of…
Oxidation Fermentation (OF) test: Principle, Procedure and Result Interpretation
Oxidation Fermentation (OF) test is used to differentiate those organisms that utilize carbohydrates aerobically (Oxidation) such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, from those that utilize carbohydrates anaerobically (Fermentation) such as members of…
Tween 80 hydrolysis test
Tween 80 hydrolysis test is used mainly to differentiate slow–growing Mycobacterium (Scotochromogens) with similar colony appearance, M. gordonae (positive) and M. scrofulaceum (negative). This test is also useful in identifying M. kansasii (positive results within 24…
Hanging drop test/preparation
Hanging drop test is a confirmatory test to identify if an organism is motile or non motile. It can also be used for the presumptive identification of organism on the…