Bacteria Shape and Size Essay Example for Free

Bacteria Shape and Size Essay Questions: A.What are the advantages of using bleach as a disinfectant? The disadvantages? The advantages of using 70% alcohol? The disadvantages? The advantages of using bleach as a disinfectant is strong and effective disinfectant. Its active ingredient, sodium hypochlorite, denatures protein in micro-organisms and is therefore effective in killing bacteria, fungus, and viruses. Household bleach works quickly and is widely available at a low cost. The disadvantage is could irritates mucous membranes, the skin, and the airway. It also decomposes under heat or light and reacts readily with other chemicals. Bleach solutions begin to lose its effectiveness after 2 hours. You will need to make a fresh solution for each experiment. The advantage of the 70% alcohol mixtures is capable of killing most bacteria within 5 minutes of exposure. It is a 70% isopropyl alcohol solution suitable for use as a disinfectant and is safe for contact with the skin. Alcohol mixed with water is an effective disinfectant. The water is the mix prevents the cell from dehydrating and allows the alcohol component to disrupt the cell membrane and enter the cell resulting in the denaturing of cellular proteins. It is a 70% isopropyl alcohol for use as a disinfectant and is safe for contact with the skin. The primary disadvantages of using 70% as disinfectant are that is ineffective against that is flammable and should be not used around a flame source. Another consideration is that it is flammable and should be not used around a flame source. B.List three reasons why you might choose to stain a particular slide rather than view it as a wet mount. C.Define the following terms: Â ·Chromophore: Â ·Acidic Dye: Â ·Basic Dye: D.What is the difference between direct and indirect staining? E.What is heat fixing? F.Why is it necessary to ensure that your specimens are completely air dried prior to heat fixing? G.Describe what you observed in your plaque smear wet mount, direct stained slide, and indirectly stained slide. What were the similarities? What were the differences? H.Describe what you observed in your cheek smear wet mount, direct stained slide, and indirectly stained slide. What were the similarities? What were the differences? I.Describe what you observed in your yeast wet mount, direct stained slide, and indirectly stained slide. What were the similarities? What were the differences? J.Were the cell types the same in all three specimen sets: yeast, plaque, and cheek? How were they similar? How were they different?