Bacteria and Antibiotics

(Lab Report- Criterion BC)

By: Siddhi Khare Class: 9E B6
Background Information

Bacteria are one of the two very dangerous pathogens for the body, the growth of
this kind of germ is controlled with the help of medicines like antibiotics which stop
replication of DNA, damage DNA, block ribosomes, block bacterial metabolism and
cell wall synthesis.
Antibiotics, are responsible for reducing the growth of bacteria in the body, important
for the body to work properly at all times. Antibiotics are extremely important for the
reduction in growth of bacteria, which is required for it to stop affecting the body in
any ways negatively. Ribosomes, cell wall synthesis, metabolism and DNA are
required by the bacteria to affect the body and grow in the body. If these functions
and characteristics of the bacteria do not work properly, it will benefit the body in a
number of ways.
There are a number of antibiotics which help reduce the growth of bacteria and
effectively, actively affect bacterial growth in the body and helps better the immunity
as well.
There are some of the most effective antibiotics which function properly and ensure
the body’s immune system works properly by stopping replication and other ways in
which it saves the bacteria from damaging any parts of the body.
One of most effective antibiotics include; penicillin, amoxicillin, erythromycin,
staphylococcus, homophiles influenza NE. There are different ways in which
each antibiotic remove bacteria but these are the most known and can be tested well
by an experiment on the basis on its rate of removing bacteria.

Research Question
To investigate, how effectively each antibiotic- penicillin, amoxicillin,
erythromycin, affect the growth of bacteria Staphylococcus aureus.
Hypothesis
If the zone of inhibition of any of the three antibiotics is greater in size than the
other antibiotics compared with it, then that antibiotic would be the most
effective on the bacteria: Staphylococcus aureus.
This is because, the zone of inhibition is a measurable size for the reduction in
growth of a bacteria. The greater the zone of inhibition of the antibiotic, the more is
the growth of the bacteria controlled and the bacteria is stopped from growing.
 I think that erythromycin should be most effective against the bacteria chosen to
experiment with, because it is in comparison, it is a powerful antibiotic and
Staphylococcus aureus is less resistant to erythromycin as compared to the other
two antibiotics. The antibiotic is used widely for bacterial infections caused by
Staphylococcus aureus and other bacteria. Erythromycin is not the newest as
compared to amoxicillin and penicillin, but Staphylococcus aureus is more sensitive
towards erythromycin, as compared to the other antibiotics which will be used in the
experiment.
(Time of discovery isn’t an effective factor as the bacteria mutate, and are able to
change DNA codes, so the most effective antibiotic for any bacteria can only be
judged by whether or not it stops the growth of that bacteria).
Variables in the experiment
Description Manipulation
Types of Antibiotics used (3) In the experiment, the result is
based on the effect of different
antibiotics on the bacterium
Independent Variable chosen (Staphylococcus
aureus) –
The antibiotics are
erythromycin, amoxicillin and
penicillin.

The size of zone of inhibition of each This variable will be manipulated

antibiotic, (measure of the effect of
Dependent Variable antibiotic on the bacterium).
by taking three trials of the
experiment, with respect to the
change in each antibiotic. The
size will be measured with the
help of a ruler, and the size
depends on the effect of the
antibiotic.

Description How will it be controlled

Potential of Hydrogen. of agar The ph. of the agar solution is
solution supposed to be normal for the
experiment to take place and not
get changed as it might affect the
result of the experiment. The
expected ph. should be 3.0.

Concentration of each antibiotic The concentration of each

Controlled Variables antibiotic will not be changed as
well for any trial. The working
concentration for each antibiotic
is different from the other, though
they will not change than what
the normal concentration to react
to the bacteria. As per my
 research, the higher the
concentration, the greater the
size of zone of inhibition, but if
not controlled in this experiment,
would affect the experiment with
the wrong results.
Type of bacteria The type of bacteria which is
tested by the use of antibiotic in
the experiment, cannot change
as the independent variable is
the antibiotic, if bacteria is also
changed, the experiment would
change. The type of bacteria will
be the same for all antibiotics.
Incubation time The incubation time, for checking
the change in size of zone of
inhibition will also be controlled,
and for each trial will be 24hrs.
Temperature It needs to be heated up to at
least 90 degrees and cool down
till 60 degrees, for the experiment
to not get changed by any
chance and for a riskless
experiment.
Petri dish These are a few things of which
Incubator the characteristics cannot
Ruler change, they work as important
materials in order to perform the
experiment correctly.

Materials Required
Description Function Amount
Erythromycin Antibiotics used in the -
Penicillin experiment (independent
Amoxicillin variable).

(vials)
Staphylococcus aureus Bacterium used in the -
experiment (control
variable)
Incubator For the storage of 1
microbiological cultures
such as bacteria with
antibiotic. (for 24hrs), for
the petri dish to be put in.
Petri dish/petri plate For storing the bacteria 3 (for each antibiotic put in the
inside it bacteria)

Ruler To measure the size of the 1

zone of inhibition for each
antibiotic.

Test tube To inoculate bacteria into 1

the petri dish

Gloves For safety when dealing 2

with bacteria and
antibiotics

Agar Solution For storing the bacteria in 10g

the petri dish.

Method
Collect vails of the antibiotics to be used in the experiment (erythromycin, amoxicillin,
penicillin) to conduct the experiment. The amount should be enough for the
experiment to take place.
Ensure that the concentration, ph. and temperature is controlled, enough for the
experiment to take place. Temperature should cool down to 60 degrees from 90
degrees for the experiment to take place without any risks.
After collecting the right amount of bacteria Staphylococcus aureus for the
experiment, stored in the agar plate, incubate it using a test tube to the petri dish for
the experiment to continue.
Take the antibiotics out of the vails and put them into the petri dish, dissolved with
the bacteria in the petri dish.
Cover the agar plate on the petri dish with a coffee filter (optional- though required
for the immediate visibility of the zone of inhibition after the experiment).
Switch the incubator on and put the petri dish in the incubator for the next 24 hours.
After the 24 hours, take the petri dish or agar plate out of the incubator and measure
the zone of inhibition around the petri dish with a ruler.
Do the same with all the other antibiotics, or before keeping the petri dish in the
incubator, do the same with the 2 other antibiotics and then, keep the petri dish
inside the incubator.
Repeat the procedure for 3 more trials for each antibiotic (recommendation/optional)
Record the length of the diameter of the zone of inhibition for the comparison
between the effects on antibiotics on the bacteria.
Record the data, finishing the experiment.