1.1.27

Contamination

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Contamination

When growing cultures of bacteria, we provide conditions that are good for lots of different types of bacteria to grow. If bacteria that are not being investigated grow, then our investigation has been contaminated.

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Risks

  • As well as jeopardising the results of the investigation, contamination is a serious health and safety risk as it lets other, potentially harmful bacteria grow.
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Sources

  • Potential sources of contamination are:
    • Skin
    • Air
    • Soil
    • Water
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Prevention

  • For investigations into antibiotics to be useful, the cultures must be pure (do not contain bacteria that are not being investigated).

Jump to other topics

1Cell Biology

1.1What's in Cells?

1.2Cell Division

1.3Transport in Cells

2Organisation

2.1Principles of Organisation

2.2Enzymes

2.3Circulatory System

2.4Non-Communicable Diseases

2.5Plant Tissues, Organs & Systems

3Infection & Response

4Bioenergetics

5Homeostasis & Response

5.1Homeostasis

5.2The Human Nervous System

5.3Hormonal Coordination in Humans

5.4Plant Hormones

6Inheritance, Variation & Evolution

7Ecology

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