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Research Paper On Staphylococcus Aureus

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Staphylococcus aureus was first identified by Sir Alexander Ogston in 1880, although Friedrich Julius Rosenbach is credited with giving the bacterium its current name in 1884. Staphylococcus aureus is commonly considered a natural inhabitant among the microfauna that is found on a human’s skin, inside the nostrils, and inside the lower reproductive tracts of healthy women (Kluytmans et al, 1997). Although S. aureus is commonly found on humans, it is known to be pathogenic, causing a range of illnesses, such as minor skin infections, pneumonia, toxic shock syndrome, and sepsis (National Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases, 1999). Several other species of bacteria have had their names changed since they were first discovered, such as …show more content…

To establish whether the culture was pure, an isolation streak was performed using an agar plate, then both the TSB broth and the isolation streak were incubated at 35°C. First, a gram stain was performed to determine whether the bacteria were gram positive or gram negative, as well as to determine the shape of the bacteria. After the gram stain was performed, a series of biochemical tests were performed to help ascertain the identity of the unknown culture. Using an empty sterile test tube, a desiccation test was run to determine whether the bacteria formed endospores or not, by incubating it at 55°C for one week, followed by 24 hours at 35°C in a TSB broth. A catalase test was performed, by incubating the bacteria on an agar slant for 24 hours at 35°, to check for the presence of catalase. Afterwards, a SIM test was run to determine the motility of the bacteria, by incubating the bacteria for 24 hours at 35°C on an agar deep. A sample of bacteria were also streaked onto a tryptic soy agar (TSA) plate, and placed in a GasPak chamber for 48 hours to determine the bacteria’s oxygen requirements. A carbohydrate fermentation test was performed to determine whether the bacteria utilized glucose, lactose, or sucrose for fermentation, incubating …show more content…

The gram stain, when viewed under a microscope, determined that the bacteria were a gram positive coccus. The bacteria were not endospore formers, as determined by the negative results of the desiccation test, indicating that the bacteria had died. When in contact with hydrogen peroxide, the bacteria rapidly began producing bubbles, giving a positive result for the oxidase test. The results of the SIM test were negative for motility, as seen in the lack of growth throughout the tube. Due to the growth present inside the GasPak, the bacteria were revealed to be facultative anaerobes. The results for each carbohydrate fermentation came back positive, as all tubes had changed from red to yellow, indicating fermentation of each of the carbohydrates. When a colony was spread onto filter paper covered in oxidase reagent, the culture did not turn purple, indicating a negative result for the oxidase test. The ONPG test also yielded negative results, as the salt stayed transparent instead of turning yellow. The culture grown in the water bath showed the bacteria could grow at 45°C, and the cultures grown on the P-agar plate were larger than 5mm. The urease test resulted in a weak positive outcome on the slant, and a negative result in the bottom of the

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