Bacteria in the Boys' & Girls' Living Environments

This topic submitted by Donald, Ashley, Tekk, Eric (frederde@muohio.edu) at 11:59 pm on 10/8/01. Additions were last made on Friday, April 19, 2002. Section: Wagner

Introduction
To get you more excited about the experiment here are some interesting facts and history of bacteria. Although bacteria live all around of us, most of it is relatively harmless. In fact, only a very small fraction is harmful to us humans. (“Bacteria”, Encarta) However, the effect of these few harmful bacteria can be lethal. During the Middle Ages the “Plague” or “Black Death” ravished Europe between 1348-1351 somewhere between 25 and 35% of the population died. In certain cities, villages, and areas the number of deaths soared to 60% or higher. (Noble, Strauss, et al., 1998) The name of the bacteria that caused this death is Yersinia pestis, and was spread by rats. Another notable outbreak was of Cholera (Vibrio cholaerae) that hit Europe and Asia in the 19th century, and as recently as the 1990s was found in South America. One final bacterial disease is tuberculosis (mycobacterium tuberculosis), which has claimed millions of human lives throughout our history. (“Bacteria”, Encarta Online) For these reasons, you may want to be more aware of the bacteria that you interact with in a daily basis for your own self-knowledge and health. Speaking of health one common bacteria that lives on us and around us is Staphylococcus. This nasty little thing lives in the air and water and on the human body typically on the upper pharynx (throat) and is responsible for pneumonia and septicemia. (“Staphylococcus”, Encarta Online)
Speaking of history, the founder of microbiology is a Dutchman Antoni van Leeuwenhoek. He was a microscope maker and spent many hours grinding and regrinding the glass for his microscopes. He was the first person to describe what he discovered under his lens. (“Bacteria”, Encarta Online) It is due to van Leeuwenhoek that we are able to see bacteria and are thus able to do this experiment. Thanks Antoni!
Bacteria, we all have heard of it, and many of us even know what it is. Have you ever stopped to think about how much of a role bacteria play in your daily lives? Encarta states that bacteria are:
“[M]icroorganisms that lack a nucleus and have a cell wall composed of peptidoglycan, a protein-sugar molecule. Bacteria are the most common organisms on earth and are intimately connected to the lives of all organisms.” (“Bacteria”, Encarta Online)
It is all around you. This experiment is designed to show that bacteria live all around us, and are part of our daily lives.
In this experiment the boys’ and girls’ living environments of Peabody Hall (2nd & 3rd) floors will be studied. The bathrooms on each floor and two dorm rooms on each floor will be used for the study. In each of the designated zones (See diagrams for individual specimen zones) samples will be collected and then allowed to grow in agar. After the maturation process of the bacteria each sample will either be labeled 1- lot of bacteria, 2- medium bacteria, 3- little bacteria, or 4- no bacteria. Based on the amount of bacteria found to have grown in the Petri dish a point value will be assigned to each. The living environment with the highest bacteria count (based upon total points) will be declared the dirtiest, and will be the recipients of the coveted Dust Bunny Award, which they can then proudly, and rightfully, so display.
Finally, we are back to making some history of our own, the first, and hopefully annual, competition between the girls and guys living areas of Peabody Hall for the coveted Dust Bunny Award. After the experiment is done you should have learned how to collect bacteria samples and the use of proper streak plate techniques.
Our purpose for doing this lab is to discover whose living environment is dirtier, the guys or girls. The Null hypothesis is that neither living environment will have more bacteria the then other. The research hypothesis is that the boys’ living environment (3rd floor) will have more bacteria then the girls’ living environment (2nd floor).
This experiment is designed to enhance our understanding of bacteria and increase our awareness of the quantity of bacteria around us. Because of their minuteness, we often forget about bacteria and the repercussions they can have on our health. Consequently, sometimes we are careless. We hope this lab will remind us of the importance of cleanliness.
We based our experiment in part on the Miami University’s MBI 123 class and their labs.

This friendly little guy’s name is Clostridium botulinum and causes botulism poisoning. (http://www.lima.ohio-state.edu/biology/monera.html)
Materials
Q-tips
Petri dishes
Agar
Cellophane tape
Masking tape
Pen, pencil, marker
Microscope
Latex gloves

Methods
We will be taking samples of bacteria from various locations on the second and third floors of Peabody hall; locations such as the sinks, showers, toilets, and door handles of the bathrooms and keyboards, computer mice, and door handles from dorm rooms. (See Diagram 1 for more detailed list) We will do this by taking Q-tips and swiping them in the sampling areas mentioned above. We will use a streak plate technique in order to measure whether there are many bacteria, few, or none at all. In the Petri dish we will streak the Q-tip seven to ten times on one half (Side A) and two to four times on the other (Side B). The amount of bacteria will be determined by the growth on either half of the dish. If there are no bacteria on the entire plate than it will receive a score of 0. If there are few bacteria on the heavily stroked half of the plate and none on the lightly stroked half than it will receive a score of 1. If there are many bacteria on the heavily stroked side but none on the lightly stroked side it will receive a score of 2. If there are many bacteria on the entire plate than it will receive a score of three. The floor that receives the highest score will be deemed the dirtiest and will receive the Dust Bunny Award.

Procedure
1) Go to designated area with your materials (you will receive your location and materials in seminar)
2) Remove a Q-tip from the package. Do not touch either end of the Q-tip.
3) Wipe one end of the Q-tip on the designated surface.
4) Open Petri dish.
5) Wipe the end of the Q-tip about seven to ten times on one half of the agar. Then wipe the same end of the Q-tip on the other half 2-4 times on the other. (See fig. a)
6) CLOSE PETRI DISH! Leaving it open can allow bacteria in the air to contaminate the sample.
7) Tape Petri dish down with cellophane tape.
8) Make sure Petri dish will not open.
9) Really, if it opens the sample will be no good.
10) Record place (location number) and time on a piece of masking tape and apply it on the top of the dish between the two halves. (see fig. b)
11) Return the Petri dish to the location where you received it.

Fig a Fig b

DIAGRAM 1 -SOUTH BATHROOM

DIAGRAM 2 -NORTH BATHROOM

DIAGRAM 3- OUR CRAZY LIST

List of Sample Areas
Bathrooms (North & South)
1. Below Seat Back
2. Seat Cover Back
3. Seat Cover Side
4. Toilet Handle (Flusher)
5. Bathroom Door Handle (Inside)
6. Sink Handle Knob (Hot)
7. Sink Drain
8. Paper Towel Dispenser Knob
9. Shower Drain
10. Shower Handle/Knob
Dorm Rooms (2 on each floor)
1. Light Switch
2. Door Handle (Inside)
3. Left Mouse Button

Data Sheet

Bacteria A lot (3pts) Medium (2pts) Little (1pt) None (0pts) Points

Sample
Boys
(1-26 North Bathroom/Dorm rooms & 27-52 South Bathroom/Dorm rooms)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
South Bth/Dm
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
TOTAL POINTS

Bacteria A lot (3pts) Medium (2pts) Little (1pt) None (0pts) Points

Sample
Girls
(1-26 North Bathroom/Dorm rooms & 27-52 South Bathroom/Dorm rooms)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
South Bth/Dm
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
TOTAL POINTS

Our timeline for research is quite simple. On a date to be determined we will take all the samples during Seminar. The samples will be allowed to grow for one week. After the growth process we will then examine the Petri dishes under microscopes to determine the amount of bacteria.

Works Citied
1. “Bacteria”. Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2001 http://encarta.msn.com (2 Oct. 2001)
2. Isaac, Susan and Jennings, David, (1995) Microbial Culture: Introduction to Biotechniques. BIOS Scientific Publishers Limited.
3. Noble, Thomas F.X., Strauss, Barry S., et al. (1998) Western Civilization: The Continuing Experiment. Houghton Mifflin Company.
4. Singleton, Paul, (1992) Introduction to Bacteria: For Students of Biology, Biotechnology, & Medicine. John Wiley & Sons.
5. "Staphylococcus," Microsoft¨ Encarta¨ Online Encyclopedia 2001 http://encarta.msn.com
6. Noble, Thomas F.X., Strauss, Barry S., et al. (1998) Western Civilization: The Continuing Experiment. Houghton Mifflin Company.
7. Ohio State (Lima) Website: http://www.lima.ohio-state.edu/biology/monera.html

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