Biology 11

March 6, 2015
Microbiology Lab
Pre Lab Questions
1. It is necessary to treat the control quadrant of the agar plate with
water because the other quadrants are being treated with
solutions. By treating the control with water, only the microbial
properties of the solute are observed, and it can be ensured that
the water in the solution is not causing a zone of inhibition
instead of the solute.
2. Bacteria can attack natural products such as garlic, cinnamon,
and honey like it attacks other organisms. Similarly to how
humans immune systems develop the ability to fight bacteria,
these natural products could develop the ability to fight off
bacteria, thus having antimicrobial properties.
3. Gram-positive bacterias cell walls are made of one thick layer of
carbohydrates and proteins, whereas gram-negative bacterias
cell walls have a second layer of lipids and carbohydrates. The
variation in their cell wall structures causes the antimicrobial
products to have differentiating effects on them. By
differentiating between the two types, the different effects can
be observed.
Purpose
The purpose of this lab is to assess the antimicrobial effectiveness of
both natural and store-bought products on gram-negative and grampositive bacteria.
Hypothesis
1. The gram-negative bacteria will be more resistant to each
solution.
2. The antibiotics will have the greatest antimicrobial effectiveness,
while honey, garlic powder, and cinnamon will have the least
antimicrobial effectiveness.
Data Collection
Table 1: Diameter (mm) of Zone of Inhibition of B Bacteria When
Treated With Store-bought and Natural Solutions

Plate
Store-bought

Natural

Solution
Control (water)
A (Bleach)
B (Antibiotics)
C (Hand sanitizer)
Control (water)

Diameter (mm)
0mm
24mm
29mm
0mm
0mm

D (Garlic Powder)
E (Honey)
F (Cinnamon)

0mm
0mm
0mm

Discussion
1. In this groups results, the antibiotics had a zone of inhibition of
approximately 29mm, the bleach had a zone of inhibition of
approximately 24mm, and the other products had no zone of
inhibition. While these results were similar to the four other
bacteria B groups results, they were not exactly the same. The
antibiotics were effective in inhibiting growth on all five plates,
with approximately equal zones of inhibition. The hand sanitizer,
cinnamon, honey, and garlic powder had no zone of inhibition on
any plate. However, bleach had a zone of inhibition of
approximately equal size on three plates, had no zone of
inhibition on one plate, and had a very small zone of inhibition on
one plate. Variation seen in the results of multiple trials of a lab,
such as in this lab, is common in scientific experiments. Due to
random and systematic error that cannot be completely limited,
and the varying precision and rigor of each group carrying out
the lab, slightly different results are seen. While results of
multiple trials of a lab should theoretically be the same, they will
vary slightly, and conclusions based on the outcomes while
considering the varying results can be drawn.
2. Hand sanitizer is typically made of at least 60% of an alcohol
such as ethanol or isopropanol, with its remainder being
moisturizing agents, thickening agents, and water (Sherwood).
Alcohol is the active ingredient in hand sanitizer, meaning that it
is the ingredient that kills bacteria (Landau). The alcohol first
makes the lipids of the cell membrane more soluble in water,
thus breaking down and altering the structure of the cell
membrane so that the alcohol can enter the cell (Landau). In the
cell, alcohol denatures the cells proteins, causing the proteins to
be unable to function (How Does Hand Sanitizer Kill Germs?).
Since the proteins that control the bacteriums vital functions are
denatured, the bacterium is unable to function, and dies (How
Does Hand Sanitizer Kill Germs?). Hand sanitizer also has varying
effects on gram positive and gram negative bacteria; as gramnegative bacteria have an outer cell membrane made of lipids,
they are more susceptible to hand sanitizer than gram-negative
bacteria whose outer layer is composed of peptidoglycan (How
Does Hand Sanitizer Kill Germs?). Hand sanitizer is only effective
in killing bacteria on contact, and after it has been evaporated it

does not inhibit the growth of bacteria, as shown by the lack of

zone of inhibition in this lab (Sherwood).
Conclusion
The purpose of this lab was to assess the antimicrobial effectiveness of
both natural and store bought products on gram-positive and gramnegative bacteria. It was hypothesized that the antibiotics would have
the greatest antimicrobial effectiveness while the honey, cinnamon,
and garlic powder would have the least, and that the gram-negative
bacteria would be more resistant than gram-positive bacteria to each
product. The data collected partially supports this hypothesis.
The natural products of cinnamon, garlic powder, and honey were not
effective in inhibiting growth on the gram-positive bacteria B plates,
having a zone of inhibition of 0mm. However, honey produced a zone
of inhibition on the gram-negative plates, garlic powder produced a
small zone of inhibition on two of four gram-negative plates, and
cinnamon did not produce a zone of inhibition on any gram-negative
plate. Gram-negative bacteria were more susceptible to the natural
products than gram-positive, and honey was the most effective natural
product (Mohapatra). On the gram-positive plates treated with storebought products, antibiotics produced a zone of inhibition on every
plate, bleach produced a zone of inhibition on three of five plates, and
hand sanitizer did not produce a zone of inhibition on any plate. On the
gram-negative plate treated with store-bought products, antibiotics
produced a zone of inhibition on every plate, bleach produced a zone
of inhibition of every plate, and hand sanitizer produced a zone of
inhibition on every plate. The gram-negative bacteria had less growth
than gram-positive when treated with store-bought products, and
antibiotics were the most effective product. There were inconsistencies
within the groups results for this lab; bleach and garlic powder
produced zones of inhibition in some groups plates, but not in others,
and the zones of inhibition varied in diameter. To improve the accuracy
and precision of the results of this lab, contamination should be limited
further (such as with the air), and the plating of the bacteria should be
done more precisely.
This lab demonstrated that natural and store bought antimicrobial
products affect gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria differently
due to the differences in their cell wall structure. Additionally, this lab
demonstrated that products have varying levels of antimicrobial
effectiveness, as shown by the varying diameters of the zones of
inhibition.
Works Cited
"How Does Hand Sanitizer Kill Germs?" UCSB Science Line. U of

California, n.d.
Web. 12 Mar. 2016. <http://scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?
key=4374>.
Landau, Elizabeth. "Hand Sanitizer: How It Protects You." CNN. CNN, 27
Nov.
2009. Web. 11 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/11/27/
hand.sanitizer.basics/index.html?iref=24hours>.
Mohapatra, D. P., V. Thakur, and S. K. Brar. Antibacterial Efficacy of
Raw and Processed Honey. Biotechnology Research International
2011 (2011):
917505. PMC. Web. 14 Mar. 2016.
Sherwood, Chris. "How Does Hand Sanitizer Kill Bacteria." Livestrong.
Demand
Media, 16 Aug. 2013. Web. 12 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.livestrong.com/
article/88193-hand-sanitizer-kill-bacteria/>.