Isolation of an Unknown Bacterium from Soil

 

Patricia Steubing

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 1993, Volume 14

Abstract

Soil contains a wider variety of microorganisms than in other types of environments. Many kinds of bacteria, algae, protozoans, yeasts, molds, and microscopic worms are present in soil. Bacteria are the dominant species found in soil and many of the biological changes that occur in soil are due to bacteria. These biological changes include fixation of nitrogen for photosynthetic plants, and the recycling of other important biological elements from the decomposition of plants and animals. This laboratory exercise involves isolating an unknown bacterium from soil, maintaining a pure culture of the microbe, determining the staining, cultural, and physiological characteristics of the organism, and narrowing the identification of the bacterium to a specific microbial group.

Keywords:  Soil Biology, bacteria, identification, isolation

University of Nevada, Las Vegas (1992)