SCHOOL OF HEALTH AND NATURAL SCIENCES

LABORATORY ACTIVITY NO. 5

CHARACTERIZATION OF BACTERIAL COLONIES

Name: ________________________________________ Date: ______________

INTRODUCTION
Technically, all bacterial colonies would produce a colony with various characteristics. The
colonies produced by some species however are not used for identification on account that the
characteristics may not be unique only to that bacterial species are more useful and more evident.
In this activity, you will study bacterial colonies based on characteristics that can be observed
such as configuration, margin, elevation, texture, optical characteristics, and pigmentation or color.
The texture of the bacterial colonies present in your agar may be described as smooth, shiny,
dull, wrinkled, granular, or mucoid. These characteristics are due to the production of capsular
materials by the microorganisms.
The optical characteristics of the colonies depend on the transmission of light that will pass
through it. When a colony demonstrates a total transmission of light, the colony is transparent. When it
allows some light to enter, it is translucent. Opaque colonies prevent light transmission.
Colonies may also display pigmentation or color due to the pigments produced by the
organisms. These cover the entire color spectrum.

OBJECTIVES

1. To be able to detect the presence of microorganisms in the environment and in the body.
2. To grow bacterial colonies from different sites of inoculation and areas of exposure.
3. To observe and illustrate the different kinds of bacterial colonies grown in the prepared culture
media.
4. To compare the density and diversity of colonies obtained from the different sites of inoculation
and areas of exposure.

MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT

Bacterial cultures from previous activity Colony counter/Hand Lens
Labeling Pen Labeling Pad Incubator

PROCEDURE:

1. Take out your bacterial cultures from the incubator.

2. Wipe dry the Petri dishes should moist have accumulated on it so that you can have a clearer
view of the bacterial colonies that have grown on the surface of the agar medium.
3. Do not open the petri dishes! (except if you want to wipe dry the moist that may have
accumulated at the inner surface of its cover, but in so doing, do it swiftly and restore the cover
immediately).
4. From the colonies that are present in your agar plates, choose only three (3) of the most
common or of the same types and observe them. Count how many colonies with the same
characteristics are present in your petri dish. Record your data in tables 5-1 to 5-3.
5. To have a clearer view, you may use a colony counter or hand lens in characterizing the
bacterial colonies.

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6. After recording the types and number of colonies that have grown in our culture media, wrap
again the Petri dishes containing your bacterial culture and store them in the refrigerator for the
next activity on observing the individual bacterial cells.

ILLUSTRATION

Draw the colonies as you observe them in your Petri dishes. Choose three (3) colonies that you want to
describe and label them 1, 2, and 3. Write your descriptions of these colonies on the tables provided for
you.

*Plate 1 ____________________________ *Plate 2 _______________________________

*Plate 3 ___________________________

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OBSERVATION

Table 5-1. Characteristics of chosen bacterial colonies per site on inoculation

PETRI DISH 1 (Source: ________________)
Characteristics of Colony 1 Colony 2 Colony 3
colony
Configuration:
Margin:
Evaluation:
Texture:
Optical characteristics:
Pigmentation/Color:
Number of the type of
colonies in your Petri
dish:

Table 5-2. Characteristics of chosen bacterial colonies per site on inoculation

PETRI DISH 2 (Source: ________________)
Characteristics of Colony 1 Colony 2 Colony 3
colony
Configuration:
Margin:
Evaluation:
Texture:
Optical characteristics:
Pigmentation/Color:
Number of the type of
colonies in your Petri
dish:

Table 5-3. Characteristics of chosen bacterial colonies per site on inoculation

PETRI DISH 3 (Source: ________________)
Characteristics of Colony 1 Colony 2 Colony 3
colony
Configuration:
Margin:
Evaluation:
Texture:
Optical characteristics:
Pigmentation/Color:
Number of the type of
colonies in your Petri
dish:

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DISCUSSION

1. Now, which site of exposure has the highest number of the different types of colonies?
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2. Brainstorm with your groupmates and provide a probable explanation or reason why you can
find the most numerous types and highest number of colonies in that particular site of
inoculation and area of exposure.
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3. The description of the characteristics of bacterial colonies is the first thing to do to identify
them. How can this help us in the identification of these microorganisms?
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GENERALIZATION
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NAME CONTRIBUTION/PARTICIPATION PERSONAL PROTECTIVE

EQUIPMENT

Date Submitted: _______________________ Score: __________________

Instructor: ____________________________

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