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2.56: Exercise 15.2

  • Page ID
    94511
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    Answer

    32,400,000 cells/mL in original sample or 3.24 x 107 cells/mL in original sample

    Solution

    • # of colonies counted = 162
    • amount of diluted sample added to the petri plate in mL = 50 μL = 0.05 mL
    • dilution of the petri plate counted = 10-4

    Step 1: Determine the concentration of cells in the diluted sample:

    (# of colonies counted on the petri plate) ÷ (amount of diluted sample added to the petri plate in mL) = CFU in diluted sample (cells/mL)

    (162 colonies) ÷ (0.05 mL diluted sample added to petri plate) = 3,240 cells/mL in the diluted sample

    Step 2: Determine the concentration of cells in the original sample:

    (CFU in diluted sample) ÷ (dilution of the petri plate counted) = CFU in original sample (cells/mL)

    (3,240 cells/mL in diluted sample) ÷ (10-4 dilution of the petri plate counted) = 32,400,000 cells/mL in original sample or 3.24 x 107 cells/mL in original sample

    CFU = 32,400,000 cells/mL in original sample or 3.24 x 107 cells/mL in original sample


    This page titled 2.56: Exercise 15.2 is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Rosanna Hartline.

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