I need help. I have searched the web for information of bacterial plate cultures but I cant really find anything. If you could refer me to a good website or explain it to me that would be great. Thank you so much.

My question is posted below.

Search the web, find, and examine large images of any two bacterial plate cultures, and describe the colonies seen in respect to shape, color, colony margins, and colony surface characteristics. You might find the following terms useful for your description:

Species: Record the name of the species.
Colony Shape: Irregular, round, filamentous – i.e., loose strands
Colony Margins: Smooth, curled, wavy, lobate – i.e. with lobes, filamentous
Colony Surface Characteristics: smooth, wrinkled, concentric, contoured
Color or pigmentation: note any color seen.

Here are all kinds of pictures of cultures.

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=bacterial+plate+cultures+&btnG=Search+Images

I understand that you are looking for information on bacterial plate cultures and how to describe the colonies seen on them. It can be a bit challenging to find large images and descriptions on specific bacterial plate cultures on the web. However, I can guide you on how to approach this task.

To find images and information on bacterial plate cultures, you can start by searching for specific bacterial species or genera that you are interested in studying. For example, you can search for "Escherichia coli plate culture" or "Staphylococcus aureus plate culture." Adding the term "plate culture" or "colony morphology" to your searches can help narrow down the results.

There are several websites and online resources commonly used for microbiology research, where you might find images and descriptions of bacterial plate cultures. Some reputable sources include scientific journals, research institutions' websites, and microbiology textbooks. Websites like PubMed, the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), or MicrobeWiki could be helpful in finding relevant information.

When examining the images of bacterial plate cultures, pay attention to the following characteristics that you mentioned:

1. Species: Identify the name of the bacterial species or, if possible, the specific strain.

2. Colony Shape: Look at the overall shape of the individual colonies. Are they irregular, round, or filamentous (loose strands)?

3. Colony Margins: Observe the edges of the colonies. Are they smooth, curled, wavy, or lobate (with lobes)? They can also be filamentous.

4. Colony Surface Characteristics: Examine the surface of the colonies. Are they smooth, wrinkled, concentric (having rings), or contoured?

5. Color or pigmentation: Take note of any color seen on the colonies. Bacterial colonies can vary in color, including white, creamy, yellow, pink, or even green.

Remember that the characteristics of bacterial colonies can vary depending on the species and the growth conditions. It's essential to consider the specific bacterial strain, growth medium, and incubation conditions when analyzing the colony morphology.

If you have access to a microbiology laboratory or educational institution, you might also consider culture plates prepared specifically for teaching purposes, as these often come with detailed descriptions and images of different bacterial colonies.

I hope this guidance helps you in finding the information you need and describing the bacterial colonies accurately. If you need further assistance, please let me know.