BIOL240 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Proteus Vulgaris, Bromocresol Purple, Indole Test
4 Aug 2015
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Two experiments will be discussed in this lab report. The purpose of the experiments were to investigate and observe the metabolic activities of microorganisms and the involvement of some enzymes in these activities. Different species of bacteria can be categorised by their distinct metabolic processes which can be detected by indicator reagents. As well, evidence of enzyme activity can be detected by noting the degradation of organic polymers in a sample culture. The metabolic activities that were explored were the fermentation of carbohydrates, production of indole, activity of the enzyme urease, and the production of hydrogen sulphide by certain bacterial cells. Carbohydrate fermentation is the anaerobic oxidation of sugars into acids or alcohols, often generating atp along the way (madigan, martinko & brock, 2006). Different species are more efficient at fermenting different carbohydrates; this can be used to distinguish bacteria with known metabolic behaviours from one another.
