Week 3: Assignment – Bacterial Growth Digital Study Tool

As you have learned in this week’s reading, bacterial growth is dependent on nutrient availability, as well as the presence or absence of oxygen. Other factors that influence bacterial growth include the source of carbon and temperature. In this week’s assignment,  you will apply your understanding of bacterial growth to create a study tool describing what is happening in a video. 

For this assignment, you will:

• Watch the following video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gEwzDydciWc (Links to an external site.)
• Then, using the instruction videos below, please address the following questions in an infographic using Canva.com or in a video presentation using Powtoon.com. If you would like to use a different media source, please email your Instructor first for permission. Include pictures, videos, or additional visual aids in your submissions. 
  1. What is the process by which bacteria divide? How is this relevant to microbiology?
  2. What method would you recommend we use to count the number of bacteria cells in this video? Why?
  3. What would you look for in order to determine if the bacteria are gram-positive or gram-negative?
  4. Based on the shape and arrangement of this bacterium, how would you categorize it (what terms would you use to describe the bacteria)?
  5. Let’s say that the growth you are observing is occurring under the following factors: Oxygen-rich environment; temperature range is 25-40 degrees Celcius; and uses inorganic chemical compounds as the source of energy, and carbon dioxide as the carbon source. What terms would you use to describe the bacteria?

POWTOON NOTE: This site features a mixture of paid and free items. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR PREMIUM ITEMS TO FULFILL THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE ASSIGNMENT. Great projects can be created just using their free tools (see the example below). Please watch the video below so that you avoid accidentally selecting elements that ask you to pay.

Instructions for How to Create a Completely FREE Project Using Powtoon:

Instructions on How to Use These Tools:

Examples to get you started: