UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILLIPINES

UPV Tacloban College

Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Magsaysay Blvd, Tacloban City

MICROBIOLOGY 150 (Microbial Ecology)

1st Semester AY 2020-2021

Filbert C. Gudisan BS in Biology-III 2018-10042

A. If there is no microscope that can be used to observe the microorganisms and you were
instructed to go a Children’s Park with a small man-made pond,

1) How would you detect the presence of the microorganisms in that environment?
Answer:
In the case when microscope is not available, the main thing to do is to use the
human senses, particularly the sense of sight. Using the eyes can be a reliable tool in
detecting the presence of microorganisms in the environment by looking for indicators of
microbial presence. The sense of smell and touch could also be used, however, it must be
noted that there are microbes, especially majority of bacteria, that are dangerous because
they can infect or contaminate the human body so it is more preferable to use gloves when
touching surfaces, bodies of water, or soils, as well as use face masks so as not get
contaminated or infected (Tsang, 2020).
2) What would you use to find them? Where would you go?
Answer:
Ideally, if an individual has no microscope, a magnifying glass can be an
alternative tool to help look for microbial presence in the environment because it is
lightweight and portable. Also, cotton swabs and petri dishes with culture media, typically
the nutrient agar, could also be used in finding these said microbes as long as proper aseptic
methods are employed. Furthermore, in dealing with ponds and bodies of water, the jar test
and sticks test could be utilized wherein a clear jar with a screw top lid and a sturdy stick
are needed in detecting the presence of blue-green algae or filamentous algae (Kansas
Department of Health and Environment, 2020). Typically, microbes are found everywhere
such as in air, water, soil, even in plants, and animals, since microorganisms are diverse
and tend to have a relatively rapid evolution and adaptation to sudden environmental
changes (Acchi Banwait, 2017; Lumen Boundless Microbiology, n.d.; Tsang 2020)
3) What are the tell-tale signs that would indicate the presence of microorganisms in places
you just visited or in samples you observed/examined?
Answer:
Surfaces or objects that are probable carriers of microbial pathogens or infection
are known as “fomites”. There are several fomites in the environment anchoring to the fact
that microorganisms, either beneficial or harmful, could be found everywhere. There is a

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 higher probability that an observer could find microorganisms, such as fungi and even
bacteria, in decaying plants and animals. Flies are a good indicator for these decaying
organisms in which the reason for attraction to these decomposing matter is not yet certain
although researchers hypothesized that the odor released from the breakdown of decaying
matter by these microbes could be factor for flies to be attracted to the dead bodies (Lee,
2014). In ponds and other bodies of water, the blue-green appearance could signify the
presence of blue-green algae or filamentous algae, however, it is not always a reliable case
but there is still a probability to find one. In soil, presence of earthworms and darker
appearance could imply the presence of nitrogen-fixing bacteria such as Azotobacter,
Azospirillum and Clostridium which makes the soil richer in content and more suitable for
the growth of the plants (Hoorman, 2016). In plants found in the environment, symptoms
for bacterial infection could also be perceived from infected plants: bacterial spots, cankers,
bacterial galls, bacterial vascular wilts, bacterial rots, and bacterial scabs (BACTERIAL
PLANT PATHOGENS AND SYMPTOMOLOGY, n.d).

B. Fill-out the Table below with the data you have gathered from this task:

Place Visited/Sample Indicator/s of Microbial Type/s of Microorganisms

Examined Presence Expected to be Found
1. Pond Blue-green appearance of Cyanobacteria; blue-green
water algae; and filamentous algae;
protozoa
2. Soil Earthworms and darker Nitrogen-fixing bacteria (e.g.
appearance Azotobacter, Azospirillum
and Clostridium)

3. Decaying animals (e.g. Flies Fungi; Bacteria

toad, cat, bird, etc.)
4. Plants
5. Toilet handles, doorknobs,
or the floors
Bacterial spots, cankers,
bacterial galls, bacterial
vascular wilts, bacterial rots,
and bacterial scabs
dirty surfaces (or even neat-
looking surfaces)
Bacteria (e.g. Pseudomonas,
Xanthomonas,
Agrobacterium,
Arthrobacter, Rhizobacter
Rhodococcus, Erwinia
spp., Bacillus spp. and
Clostridium spp.)
Coliform bacteria (e.g.
Staphylococcus aureus,
Klebsiella pneumoniae,
Escherichia coli,
Enterobacter spp.,
Citrobacter spp.,
Pseudomonas aeruginosa,
and Proteus spp.)

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References
Acchi Banwait. (2017, May 22). What are microorganisms/microbes. Types of microorganisms
and their classification. [video file]. In Youtube, Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDVq2etiknU
BACTERIAL PLANT PATHOGENS AND SYMPTOMOLOGY [doc file]. (n.d.). Retrieved
from https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/2054/2014/04/BacterialPlantPathogens_001.pdf
Eze, U., Nworie, A., Ayeni, J.A. & Simon, A. (2012, June). Bacterial contamination of door
handles/knobs in selected public conveniences in Abuja metropolis, Nigeria: A public
health threat.. Continental Journal of Medical Research. 6. 7-11. Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263315034_Bacterial_contamination_of_door_
handlesknobs_in_selected_public_conveniences_in_Abuja_metropolis_Nigeria_A_publi
c_health_threat#:~:text=Most%20of%20the%20bacteria%20contaminants,and
%20Proteus%20Species%20(4.5%25).
Hoorman, J.J. (2016, June 2016). Role of Soil Bacteria. In Ohioline.
https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/anr-36
Kansas Department of Health and Environment. (2020). The Jar and Stick Tests [pdf file].
Retrieved from https://www.kdheks.gov/algae-illness/download/Jar_Test.pdf?
fbclid=IwAR2oSuxVBV0j1VqifLykz7v7zvi26kjv__t2QQv_R52h-_FMbee-
ISTukpU#:~:text=There%20are%20a%20couple%20of,jar%20test%20for%20blue
%2Dgreens.
Lee, J.J. (2014, October 29). Watch How Maggots Help Solve Crimes. In National Geographic.
Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/10/141029-maggot-
flies-bodies-video-forensics-science/
Lumen Boundless Microbiology. (n.d.). Methods of Classifying and Identifying Microorganisms.
Retrieved from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-
microbiology/chapter/methods-of-classifying-and-identifying-microorganisms/
Tsang, J. (2020, February 7). Identifying Bacteria Through Look, Growth, Stain, and Strain.
Retrieved from https://asm.org/Articles/2020/February/Identifying-Bacteria-Through-
Look,-Growth,-Stain,