What are the different types of bacterial colonies?

Question

To classify bacteria alone, one would use gram-stain (positive or negative), or the shape (rod, cocci, etc). But how does one classify bacterial colonies? Please list the different types of bacterial colonies and give examples for each, thank you.

Answer 1

There are three basic classifications for colony morphology. And each classification has different ones. Here they are:

Shape of the Colony- this is broken up into
*round
*irregular
*filamentous
*rhizoid

The type of Edge on the colony-
*undulate
*lobate
*rounded

The elevation of the colony-
*raised
*flat
*convex
*umbonate

Those are the ones i can think of off hand

Answer 2

Types Of Bacterial Colonies

Answer 3

1. Question: Does chapstick encourage or discourage growth of bacteria? 2. Hypothesis: (do some research - check what bacteria like to eat and check if any of that stuff is in the various chap sticks you are testing. 3. Design an experiment: what are you putting the chapstick on? for how long?, in what conditions (sealed envelope/out in the air, in the freezer, etc.), how much chapstick, etc. Remember to keep all of the samples you are testing in the same amount. Remember to have a control group where no chapstick is applied to the surface. 4. Do the experiment and write up the results. Do a graph of the results-teachers love graphs. 5. Analyze your results and reach a conclusion. 6. Put together a poster with a title and your name showing each step: question, hypothesis, experiment, experiment results, conclusion (the answer to your original question)

Answer 4

See the drawings at:

http://www.rlc.dcccd.edu/mathsci/reynolds/micro/lab_manual/Coloniy_morph.jpg

From the same site (modifid with some examples for you):

SIZE OF COLONY (measure with a millimeter rule), less than 1mm = punctiform (pin-point).

Ex: punctiform = Streptococcus genera

EDGE/MARGIN OF COLONY: magnified edge shape
CHROMOGENESIS (pigmentation): white, buff, yellow (Micrococcus luteus), red (Serratia marcescens)
Some pigments are water-soluble, others are not. If you take a large inoculum and place it in a tube of water or saline, do you see color? Do you see any pigment if the organism is growing in a broth medium?
OPACITY OF COLONY:
transparent (clear), opaque, translucent (almost clear, but distorted vision–like looking through frosted glass), iridescent (changing colors in reflected light, like Escherichia coli plated on Eosin Methylene Blue medium)
ELEVATION OF COLONY (turn the place on end to determine height): grows into medium = Strep
SURFACE OF COLONY:
smooth, glistening, rough, dull (opposite of glistening), rugose (wrinkled)
CONSISTENCY:
butyrous (buttery), viscid (sticks to loop, hard to get off), brittle/friable (dry, breaks apart), mucoid
EMULSIFIABILITY OF COLONY:
Is it easy or difficult to emulsify? Does it form a uniform suspension, a granular suspension, or does not emulsify at all?
ODOR: Absent or present? If it has an odor, what does it smell like? (Clostridium genera are very stink)

Answer 5

Mono-single bacterium
Diplo-two bacteria
Strepto-grape-like clusters

Ex. Diplococci would be a colony containing round bacteria in pairs. Hope I've helped.