Republic of the Philippines

PALOMPON INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY – TABANGO

Tabango, Leyte

OFFICE OF INSTRUCTION
General and Teacher Education Department

Name: Nathaniel P. Damayo Program and Year: BSED 2

Date: 11/15/21 Online Schedule: Friday

Laboratory Report No. 1

Microorganism Characteristics
Introduction:
Microorganisms plays a crucial role in the field of medicine and it is also the reason
of the many diseases caught by humans and other organisms in the planet.
According to Targetstudy (2018), studying microorganisms helps in identifying the
treatment and diagnosis to certain diseases in humans and animals.
Understanding microorganisms also helps in identifying microorganisms that are
living in the foods of the people. Studying the characteristics of the
microorganisms in food is deemed necessary not only for finding cure for various
diseases but also in preventing malignant diseases from entering into the homes
of the people. In this experiment, the researcher will study, understand, and
observe the characteristics of microorganisms that will form and grow in a bread
with different environment and situation in seven days duration.

Objective/s: Explain the characteristics of microorganisms.

Materials/Equipment:
• 2 pcs. of slice bread
• 2 pcs of plate
• mayonnaise
• food wrapper
• paper
• ballpen
• toothpick
• Camera/cellphone

Procedures:
• Place a mayonnaise on one of the slice breads
while nothing on the other.
• After that, place it in a plate and cover it food
wrapper.
• The food wrapper must have small holes using
the toothpick the one with mayonnaise.
• Leave as it is the one without mayonnaise.
• Place it in a favorable environment.
• For 7 days, record your observations on the
changes undertake.
Results:
The experiment shows that the slice of bread that has no mayonnaise is more
susceptible to microbial formation even if it is kept in a close container. On the
other hand, the slice of bread that has been applied/putted with mayonnaise in
a container with a hole for air to pass through is more defiant in the possible
microbial formation. The mayonnaise in the experiment became the primary
factor in determining the characteristics of an organism and this material has
made the researcher reach an explanation regarding this phenomenon.

The happenings during the seven days progress of the experiment can be
witnessed in the table below.
Days Documented photo State of the bread

With mayonnaise With no With With no

mayonnaise mayonnaise mayonnaise
1 The bread The bread
has no sign of has no sign
growing of growing
microbes. microbes.

2 The bread The bread

has no sign of has no sign
growing of growing
microbes. microbes.

3 The The side of

mayonnaise the bread
on the bread has started
has turned to have a
from white to presence of
yellow. immature
mold.
4 The side of The side of
the bread the bread
with without
mayonnaise mayonnaise
has has
developed developed
multiple colonies of
black molds. white and
green molds.
 5 The molds The molds
remain in the are now
side or in the visible from
part where afar and is
there is no starting to
mayonnaise spread
applied. towards the
center of the
bread.
6 The molds still The molds
stay in the keep on
side of the growing and
bread and changing its
the color from
mayonnaise grey to
is getting black.
more
yellowish.
7 The molds The molds
have been have now
fully matured reached the
but does not center of the
further bread and
spread into has been
the center fully
where there matured.
is
mayonnaise.

Discussions:
The researcher observed that at the first day of the experiment the two slices of
breads does not have any change in its appearance and structure. At the
second day, the bread still does not change its appearance and structure.
However, in the third day of the experiment an unusual unidentified white grain
appears at the side of both breads (with mayonnaise, and with no mayonnaise).
In the fourth day, the growth of this grains (sporangium) which is now identified as
a mold is rapidly growing in the side of the bread with no mayonnaise and it has
reached the top sides of the bread. The bread with mayonnaise however still has
molds that has continuous growth but it is slow compared to the bread with no
mayonnaise. At the remaining three days which is day five, six, and seven, the
microbial growth in the bread with no mayonnaise is still rapidly spreading until it
reached the center of the bread. The bread with mayonnaise however, appears
that the molds tend to stay in the side which is not covered or applied with
mayonnaise and cannot further grow towards the center which is fully covered
with mayonnaise. Due to this phenomenon the researcher seeks to find out the
reasons why fungi grow rapidly in a bread with an absence of mayonnaise while
it is slow in the presence of mayonnaise.
Through further research about the significance of mayonnaise in preserving
foods, the researcher found out that mayonnaise contains common preservatives
that prevents spoilage of foods and development of molds and other microbes.
According to Bomgardner (2014), these preservatives are known to be Potassium
sorbate and Sodium benzoate. In addition, mayonnaise contains mustard oil and
vinegar that is naturally preservative due to its acidity. According to Nagpal
(2019), bacteria cannot live in an environment with mustard oil and vinegar
because they contain special chemicals that prevents spoilage. By this
information the researcher has now know the reason why the bread with
mayonnaise last longer than the bread without mayonnaise.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, microbes grow slow in an acidic environment especially in foods
that has preservatives and essential oils like mayonnaise while it prospers in an
environment where there are any organic materials that can sustain their nutrition
and reproduction. The researcher also concluded that thorough cleaning of
utensils that people use in preparing and placing their foods is vital to be
remembered and practice in order to avoid early spoilage of foods in their
homes. In addition, people must always wash their hands when
handling/touching the food that has been decided to be consumed later in days
or weeks, this is to prevent the transfer of microbes living in the hands of the
people to their foods and thus making its availability for consumption longer.

Reference/s:
targetstudy.com. (2018, October 17). Importance of Microbiology in daily life |

Medical | Environment Field. Targetstudy. Retrieved November 7, 2021,

from https://targetstudy.com/articles/importance-of-microbiology.html

Bomgardner, M. B. M. (2020, September 11). Extending Shelf Life With Natural

Preservatives. Chemical & Engineering News. Retrieved November 7, 2021,

from https://cen.acs.org/articles/92/i6/Extending-Shelf-Life-Natural-

Preservatives.html

Nagpal, S. (2019, March 20). Preservation of Food by Mustard oil and Vinegar,

Chemicals, Pasteurisation, Air-tight packets. Class Notes. Retrieved

November 7, 2021, from https://classnotes.org.in/class-8/micro-

organismfriend-and-foe/preservation-food-mustard-oil-vinegar-chemicals-

pasteurisation-air-tight-

packets/?fbclid=IwAR3XDFbZ7vgtDy9eNebxB3s_oklSyzb5QVimCq6cX5Gy

GqDVI36LFlyLpPY