Isolation Technique

Question 1

How high can the concentration of microbial cultures reach in the lab?

Answer 1

Highly concentrated: can reach up to a billion cells per milliliter

Question 2

What is the general purpose of an isolation procedure?

Answer 2

They are intended to reduce the concentration of microbes by mechanically separating them using a semisolid Agar

Question 3

What is a CFU?

Answer 3

Colony Forming Unit

Question 4

Why do microbiologists want samples from isolated colonies, rather than undifferentiated masses?

Answer 4

They are genetically distinct and all cells within each CFU should be virtually identical