List and explain five types of techniques that can be used to identify unknown microorganisms

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

There are five major types of identification techniques used in the microbiology lab. One method is simply observation and classification of the physical characteristics of an organism, which includes both cellular morphology and colony morphology. A second method is the use of biochemical tests, such as fermentation of carbohydrates or production of metabolic by-products, to place microbes in different groups. A third type of identification technique is serological testing, in which antibodies are used to detect particular antigens on the surfaces of different microbes in an effort to distinguish closely related species or strains of microbes. Phage typing is the fourth technique, which is the use of bacteriophages to infect bacterial cells; because bacteriophages are highly specific in their infection of cells, the patterns of infected and uninfected cells can be used to differentiate bacterial strains and species. A fifth method involves analyzing the genetic material of microbes, such as the percentage of G and C bases in a cell's DNA, to demonstrate possible relationships between species.
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
Section: Classification and Identification of Microorganisms
Learning Outcome: 4.23
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