1.5: Aseptic Technique Procedure
The Importance of Aseptic Technique, Procedure
Name: _______________________________________
Course Section: _______________________________
The following activity will help demonstrate the importance of aseptic technique, sterilization, and the ubiquitous nature of microbes. You will collect samples from your skin and environment, inoculate the microbes on nutrient agar, and observe patterns of microbial growth. Read the following procedure carefully before starting the activity.
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Materials |
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| How To Label Nutrient Agar Plate #1 | How To Label Nutrient Agar Plate #2 |
| Procedure: Nutrient Agar Plate #1 |
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Step 1: Get into groups of 2. Step 2: On the bottom of Agar Plate #1, use a sharpie to split the plate into 4 quadrants, creating a "crosshair" shape in the middle of the plate. Label each quadrant 1 through 4.
Step 3: One group member will press the pad of their index finger in the quadrant marked "1". The other group member will press the pad of their index finger in the quadrant marked "3".
Step 4: Wash your hands with soap and water or use hand sanitizer. Step 5: With clean hands, use the same index finger and gently press it into quadrant "2" if you used soap and water or quadrant "4" if you used hand-sanitizer. Step 6: Wrap the plate in parafilm and place it in the 37°C incubator. Plates should be inverted: agar-side up and lid-side down. |
| Procedure: Nutrient Agar Plate #2 | |
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Step 1: You and your partner will select a random surface to swab. This item is called the "Wild Card" in the results table. Step 2: Once you have picked a surface, make sure you write down the name of the item on Agar Plate #2 and in the results table. Step 3: Add a few drops of sterile DI water to your swab, this will help pick up microbes from your surface of interest. Step 4: Swipe the swab over your selected surface/item multiple times. Step 5: Drag your swab across the surface of the agar plate in a zig-zag (back and forth) pattern across the entire plate surface.
Step 6: Wrap the plate in parafilm and place it in the 37°C incubator. Plates should be inverted: agar-side up and lid-side down. |
Results
In table below, describe the microbial growth present for each quadrant and the Wild Card sample. Discuss the color, quantity, shape, and other characteristics present for the colonies that grew.
| Results Table | ||
| Observations | ||
| Pre-Wash | Post-Wash | |
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Soap and Water Name: |
Quadrant 1:
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Quadrant 2:
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60% Alcohol Hand Sanitizer Name: |
Quadrant 3:
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Quadrant 4:
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Wild Card Item Sampled:
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General Questions
1. Which sanitization method was more effective, using soap and water or hand sanitizer? Explain your reasoning.
2. Why is aseptic technique important in microbiology labs?
3. What is the purpose of using an incinerator?
4. Why do we invert petri dishes in the incubator?
5. List 3 potential sources of contamination that may occur in microbiology labs.
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Health-Related Questions
1. When aseptic technique is applied to a healthcare setting it is called
__________________________ _________________________.
2. Why is it important to keep a patient's skin healthy during their hospitalization?
3. Why does Scabies target skin folds and not other areas of the body?
4. How can healthcare workers prevent Scabies from developing in their patient?
Attributions
"Microbiology Laboratory Manual: Labs, 1.7 Aseptic Technique" by Dr. Rosanna Hartline , LibreTexts: Biology , West Hills College Lemoore is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
"Environmental Infection Control Guideline: Part F, Environmental Sampling " by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , Use of CDC Materials Statement is in the Public Domain
Image Citations
The images presented in the "Procedure" were Modified From:
- "Bio 225 OER Images" by Madison Rost, Associate Professor , HGTC and are in the Public Domain
- "Fingerprint picture.svg" by The Photographersehh/info, WikiMedia Commons is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
- "File:Streak plates 5.svg" by Reytan, WikiMedia Commons is in the Public Domain