“Lab 1 Introduction to Science BIO250L”
Student Name: Haley Leach
Access Code (located on the underside of the lid of your lab kit): AC-HMZEAY5
“Pre-Lab Questions”
1. What constitutes personal protective equipment? When should personal protective equipment
be worn? Why is personal protective equipment important?
PPE protects your skin and other sensitive areas like your nose, eyes, and mouth. It is a barrier
between you and protentailly harmful mircrorganisms, caustic chemicals, and biohazards. In this
lab I will be using safety goggles, gloves, and a lab coat. PPE should be worn at all times in the
lab.
2. Why are there increasing levels of biological containment procedures? What level of biological
containment will be necessary to complete the experiments in this manual?
The increasing levels of biological containment are warn and educate you on the degree of
danger that a biological pathogen may pose when you are handing it in the lab. Every level gives
a description, a sample organism, a pathogen type, and autoclave requirements. Only BSL-1
procedures will be used in this lab.
3. What document should you refer to if you have questions regarding the safety or disposal of a
chemical? Where can this document be located?
The material data safety sheet is found on the eScience Labs website.
4. List five safety procedures that should always be adhered to when working with microorganisms.
a. No snacking or chewing gum.
b. PPE must be worn at all time. (i.e. apron, gloves, mask)
c. Close toed shoes.
d. Long hair should be put up
e. Clean lab table/surface with 10% plase or isopropyl alcohol before and after experiments
,“Lab 1 Introduction to Science BIO250L”
,“Lab 1 Introduction to Science BIO250L”
“EXERCISE 1: DATA INTERPRETATION
1. What patterns do you observe based on the information in Table 4?
Microbes do not like living in acidic environments or basic envoriments, they prefer to live in a
neutral environment, like our blood I guess.
2. Develop a hypothesis relating to the pH level of the culture media and the number of microbial
colonies observed in each culture.
The number of microbial colonies are at their peak around a neutral pH.
3. What would your experimental approach be to test this hypothesis?
Set up an experiment and try and grow microbial colonies at different pH’s.
4. What would be the independent and dependent variables?
Independent: pH of medium Dependent: number of microbial colonies produced
5. What would be your control?
Click here to enter text.
6. What type of graph would be appropriate for this data set? Why?
A line graph. X-axis: # colonies Y-axis: pH. It would give a clear and precise picture of what is
going on at each pH and how many colonies have grown. pH is a good candidate for a line graph
because it’s on a scale of 10.
7. Graph the data from Table 4. Include your name and access code handwritten on your graph. I
took this picture like twelve times and I cant get it to look clear, I’m sorry.
, “Lab 1 Introduction to Science BIO250L”
8. Interpret the data from the graph you made in Question 7.
Maximum amount of colonies: 296 at pH 7. Microbial colonies do not like basic or acidic
environments, although they do prefer basic over acidic, since none live at a pH of 0 and some
still thrive at a pH of 10.
“EXERCISE 2: TESTABLE OBSERVATIONS
1. Fresh-baked bread develops mold more quickly than bread bought from the store.
Student Name: Haley Leach
Access Code (located on the underside of the lid of your lab kit): AC-HMZEAY5
“Pre-Lab Questions”
1. What constitutes personal protective equipment? When should personal protective equipment
be worn? Why is personal protective equipment important?
PPE protects your skin and other sensitive areas like your nose, eyes, and mouth. It is a barrier
between you and protentailly harmful mircrorganisms, caustic chemicals, and biohazards. In this
lab I will be using safety goggles, gloves, and a lab coat. PPE should be worn at all times in the
lab.
2. Why are there increasing levels of biological containment procedures? What level of biological
containment will be necessary to complete the experiments in this manual?
The increasing levels of biological containment are warn and educate you on the degree of
danger that a biological pathogen may pose when you are handing it in the lab. Every level gives
a description, a sample organism, a pathogen type, and autoclave requirements. Only BSL-1
procedures will be used in this lab.
3. What document should you refer to if you have questions regarding the safety or disposal of a
chemical? Where can this document be located?
The material data safety sheet is found on the eScience Labs website.
4. List five safety procedures that should always be adhered to when working with microorganisms.
a. No snacking or chewing gum.
b. PPE must be worn at all time. (i.e. apron, gloves, mask)
c. Close toed shoes.
d. Long hair should be put up
e. Clean lab table/surface with 10% plase or isopropyl alcohol before and after experiments
,“Lab 1 Introduction to Science BIO250L”
,“Lab 1 Introduction to Science BIO250L”
“EXERCISE 1: DATA INTERPRETATION
1. What patterns do you observe based on the information in Table 4?
Microbes do not like living in acidic environments or basic envoriments, they prefer to live in a
neutral environment, like our blood I guess.
2. Develop a hypothesis relating to the pH level of the culture media and the number of microbial
colonies observed in each culture.
The number of microbial colonies are at their peak around a neutral pH.
3. What would your experimental approach be to test this hypothesis?
Set up an experiment and try and grow microbial colonies at different pH’s.
4. What would be the independent and dependent variables?
Independent: pH of medium Dependent: number of microbial colonies produced
5. What would be your control?
Click here to enter text.
6. What type of graph would be appropriate for this data set? Why?
A line graph. X-axis: # colonies Y-axis: pH. It would give a clear and precise picture of what is
going on at each pH and how many colonies have grown. pH is a good candidate for a line graph
because it’s on a scale of 10.
7. Graph the data from Table 4. Include your name and access code handwritten on your graph. I
took this picture like twelve times and I cant get it to look clear, I’m sorry.
, “Lab 1 Introduction to Science BIO250L”
8. Interpret the data from the graph you made in Question 7.
Maximum amount of colonies: 296 at pH 7. Microbial colonies do not like basic or acidic
environments, although they do prefer basic over acidic, since none live at a pH of 0 and some
still thrive at a pH of 10.
“EXERCISE 2: TESTABLE OBSERVATIONS
1. Fresh-baked bread develops mold more quickly than bread bought from the store.
