1.23: Catalase Test Assignment
Name _______________
Data and Observations
| Organism | Observations |
Result +/- |
Interpretation |
Post Lab Questions
- What was the positive control? What was the negative control?
2. What two things about the procedure prevent a false positive reaction between a transfer instrument and the reagent?
3. A false positive created by a metal catalyst and the hydrogen peroxide can be described as resulting from poor specificity or poor sensitivity in the test system?
Suppose you wanted to test an organism growing on blood agar for the presence of catalase. You perform the slide test as described above and you observe bubbles. You then realize that red blood cells, as aerobic cells, may have catalase activity. At this point, you suspect that you may have an erroneous result. This could be described as a false .
4. Describe what you could do to determine if the bubbles were produced by catalase in the bacteria or catalase (or other enzyme) in the red blood cells?
5. What type of control would that be?
6. What are the negative consequences to the cell producing hydrogen peroxide in the ways described in this exercise? There are at least two; both have something to with ATP production and energy use.