MICROBIAL SHAPES

[1]
Duay, Jelai Faith | [2] Lim, Candice Jewel | [3] Madrilejo, Roland Joshua | [4] Mateo, Grant Janri

[1,2,3,4]
1st Year Senior High School – Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, De La Salle
Araneta University, Salvador Araneta Campus, Victoneta Avenue, Potrero, Malabon, Philippines, [5]

Faculty, College of Arts, Sciences, and Technology, De La Salle Araneta University, Salvador Araneta
Campus, Victoneta Avenue, Potrero, Malabon, Philippines

Djelaifaith@gmail.com | limcandicejewel@gmail.com | rjoshua23.ll@gmail.com

I. INTRODUCTION mild food poisoning. The spores can resist

According to Aryal (2015), bacteria are
prokaryotic, unicellular microorganisms,
which lack chlorophyll pigments. The cell
structure is simpler than that of other
organisms as there is no nucleus or
membrane bound organelles. They also
maintain a definite but varying shape, size,
and structure due to the presence of a rigid
cell wall.
destruction during cooking and can then
germinate if the cooked food is not
refrigerated. Two toxins are formed: one is
heat-stable, is produced during sporulation
and causing vomiting; the other is heat-labile,
is produced during exponential growth and
causes diarrhea. These bacteria are also
called Bacilli, which is a rod-shaped
bacterium. (Aryal, 2015)

Spiral bacteria grow in shallow anaerobic

Cocci forms tetrads due to regular alternation organic-rich pools, obtaining energy from
of the plane of cell division. Micrococcus light reactions but using organic substances
species are commonly associated with the such as acetate for cellular synthesis.
skin, along with Staphylococcus species. [Organisms of this type are termed
Streptococcus species also are common but photoheterotrophs]. However, they can also
typically form chains of cells because they photosyntheize in anaerobic conditions,
divide in a single plane. Streptococcus obtaining energy from light and fixing carbon
mutans commonly grows on tooth enamel dioxide into cellular materials.
and contributes to tooth decay. (Deacon, Rhodospirillum swims in a corkscrew
n.d.). And Aryal (2015) says that these Cocci manner, by means of its polar flagella. Other
are round cells. spiral-shaped bacteria include the
spirochaetes, such as Treponema pallidum
which causes syphilis. However,
Deacon (n.d.) states that Rods are usually spirochaetes have a different type of motility
inhabitant of soils but are also found on many from that of the common spiral bacteria.
food products. Bacillus species produce (Deacon, n.d.)
endospores, B. cereus causes a relatively
Spirilla or Spiral bacteria are curved bacteria The Methylene Blue stain along with the
which can range from a gently curved shape graduated cylinders, and light microscope was
to a corkscrew-like spiral. (Aryal, 2015)
borrowed from the laboratory of De La Salle
Araneta University, while the other materials
Moreover, researchers use Methylene Blue were brought individually by the researchers.
stain to stain DNA and RNA in a specimen
and allow one to see it more clearly and
proficiently in the microscope. (Pacorz, n.d.)
Three (3) specimen were made with the following
respective compositions on the said graduated
Henceforth, in this activity, the students will cylinders:
able to observe and analyze the sample at the
microscope and identify in which major Table 1. Composition of the Fish
group among those stated above they were Paste/Bagoong Specimen
classified.
Ingredients Original Amount
Objectives
Fish Paste/Bagoong 5ml
This activity aims to let the students
Distilled Water 5ml
identify the different microbial shapes and
relate them to biodiversity. It intends to let To Make: 10ml
them understand the different cells and
structures of microorganisms depending on
what is present on the given specimen. Table 2. Composition of the Yoghurt
Specimen

II. MATERIALS AND METHOD Ingredients Original Amount

Yoghurt 5ml
To make the experiment about Microbial
Distilled Water 5ml
Shapes, the following materials will be needed:
To Make: 10ml
1. Fish Paste/Bagoong
2. Yoghurt
Table 3. Composition of the Pickled Juice
3. Pickled Juice
Specimen
4. Distilled Water
5. Three (3) Glass Slides Ingredients Original Amount
6. Three (3) Cover Slips Pickled Juice 5ml
7. Three (3) Graduated Cylinders Distilled Water 5ml
8. Methylene Blue To Make: 10ml
9. Light Microscope
 III. STUDY LOCATION Thus, making one cylinder have an amount of
10ml due to the 5ml distilled water and 5ml of the
The researchers conducted the observation and
variable that is to be used in the specimen.
analyzation of the microbial shapes of the said
materials through experimentation at the Life
Science Building in De La Salle Araneta
Observation and Analyzation
University which is located at the Laboratory
711, Victoneta Avenue, Potrero, Malabon City, Once you have finished doing
Philippines. each specimen’s solution in
each cylinder, you may
proceed to doing the slide that
IV. STUDY DURATION is to be analyzed in the
microscope.
The study was conducted by the researchers on
the 23rd of November in the year 2018 under the Drop a small amount of the
supervision of the assigned Research adviser, Ms. sample in a glass slide and
Genevieve Anne N. Galino. followed by a drop of the
methylene blue solution,
with this, you can now
V. PROCEDURE cover it with a cover slip,

Preparing the Specimen and the specimen is ready

for observation under the microscope. Do the
In preparing the specimen,
same procedure for the other specimen/s to be
get the three (3) graduated
observed under the microscope.
cylinders and add 5ml of
distilled water for each When observing under the light microscope,

cylinder. always remember to properly focus the objective

lens on the specimen. And the lenses to be used
Once you have added
in this experiment are the Low Power Objective
5ml of distilled
(LPO), and the High Power Objective (HPO).
water, you can then
proceed to adding
5ml of Bagoong, Following this paper is a schematic diagram of
Yoghurt, and Pickled the methodology and procedure in which you can
juice on the three use to assist you in understanding this
cylinders separately. experimentation process.
 VI. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION This shows what bacteria are present in the

The figure below shows the results from the different samples that the researchers had

experimentation conducted by the researchers on done and what they believe is the microbial
the three (3) specimen (Bagoong, Yoghurt, and shape of the bacteria present in accordance to
Pickled Juice) in terms of the bacteria present and the image, size, and characteristic they
the microbial shape that they had observed and uphold. With this graph, one can notice that
sighted. Bagoong mainly is composed of Bacillus and
SAMPLE BACTERIA MICROBIAL Coccus chains and clusters, while Yoghurt,
PRESENT SHAPE just as one would probably had expected, has
Fish Paste B. pumilus Pairs & singles Lactobacillus present in the experiment
(Bagoong)
Bacillus subtilis Chains specimen, and lastly, Pickle Juice mainly has
B. coagulans Pairs & singles Coccus bacteria.

B. megaterium Chains
B. lincheniformic Chains
VII. CONCLUSION
Micrococcus Cluster
colpogenes In this research, the researchers wanted to be able
to identify the different microbial shapes and the
M. roseus Cluster relevance of this to the biodiversity of life in this
M. varians Cluster
ecosystem.
Yoghurt Lactobacillus Rod-shaped
chain
delbrueckii subsp.

Lactobacillus Casei Herewith, is the connection between a

acidophilus bacterium’s microbial shape and relevance in a
Streptococcus Coccus sphere specific or particular event or occurrence in the
salvarius chains
ecological world. Moreover, also where a
Bifidobacterium Bacillus pairs
particular bacterial environment can a type of
bifidus & singles
bacterium be seen.
Pickled Streptococci Coccus sphere
Juice
chains
Leuconostoc Coccus sphere
And with this experiment, these microbial shapes
chains
were found in the different samples as they were
Pediococcus Coccus pairs
& singles present in the processes that the samples
underwent.
 VIII. LITERATURE CITED IX. APPENDICES

Aryal, S. (2015, May 12). Different Size,

Shape and Arrangement of Bacterial
Cells. Retrieved from Microbiology
info.com:
https://microbiologyinfo.com/differe
nt-size-shape-and-arrangement-of- Figure 1. Fish Figure 2. Yoghurt
bacterial-cells/. Paste/Bagoong Specimen
Specimen
Deacon, J. (n.d.). The Microbial World:
Bacterial colonies, Gram reaction
and cell shapes. Retrieved from
Archive BioEd:
http://archive.bio.ed.ac.uk/jdeacon/m
icrobes/shape.htm.
Pacorz. (n.d.). What Is The Purpose Of Figure 3. Pickled
Juice Specimen
Adding Methylene Blue To The
Specimen. Retrieved from e-notes:
https://www.enotes.com/homework-
help/want-ask-about-methylene-
blue-what-purpose-using-347231.