Brother Gregory’s Research Assistants
If you are a student or a teacher looking for yet another different approach to teaching your students about microbes and bacteria, this article will definitely be of great use to you. This article approaches the study and introduction of microbes and bacteria in a way in which the students are made to pretend of act that they are actually research assistants by using microscopes like a compound binocular microscope.
The article starts out with a problem in which answers are essential. It points out the dilemma of Herr Gustav Druer, the Brno wine merchant who asks Brother Gregory to conduct a research investigation on the properties of microbes. It is then pointed out that Brother Gregory needs you(science students) to be his research assistants in this certain investigation of microbes. To start with Brother Gregory has already been given a series of microbes in which he is tasked to identify each species. The major goal of this investigation in this article is to identify the properties of all these bacteria and microbes, to determine their shape and size. This Can be done with the help of acompound binocular microscope.
In addition to this, the article also includes background on bacteria, information on their shapes and sizes, what certain type of tool in studying them, (like for example a compound binocular microscope) of course, recording of the results, and instructions on how to conduct your investigation.
In the background on bacteria in this certain article, a short introduction is given about bacteria. Information is given on bacteria having prokaryotic cells or cells that lack a membrane-bound nucleus which have few internal structures that are distinguishable under a microscope. On the other hand though, it is also explained here that due to their very small size, bacteria are very difficult to study under a light microscope since their internal contents using such an instrument. If you want to study bacteria, you can use also a compound binocular microscope. Because of their very small size substances and nutrients can enter and leave at a very speedy rate causing them to replicate even faster than their own DNA. Also included in this background is a short inclusion of some of the parts of bacteria like the envelope which is a rigid covering outside each cell which determines its shape and another is also their appendages which may project around each cell covering the capsule.
The short information on bacteria shapes includes the explanation of the function of and how each cell wall is composed of murein, a material that is part protein and part polysaccharide. The shapes of bacteria are enumerated according to groups such as common shapes, intermediate shapes , and lastly rare shapes. According to the article though even though bacteria have these shapes, they can also stick together to form groups or clusters. You can see how these clusters look like under microscopes such as a compound binocular microscope.
In the part about size, it is briefly explained that bacteria is a million times smaller than an average human, the reason why we need microscopes like a compound binocular microscope to view them, which is why bacteria needs another type of metric system in order to be measured. The recommended standard in measuring microbes is the micrometer which is six times smaller than a meter. What follows next in this article is what tools to use in studying microbes and bacteria. It is recommended here that a tiny group of each microbe species be put in a drop of water and placed on a microscope slide. The easiest way to see growing bacteria is to use a wet mount. Other methods mentioned are the use also of petroleum jelly covered by a cover slip to create a slight depression or stains may also be used. Powerful microscopes may then be used to enlarge and magnify the image of these microbes. A type of microscope which can be used here is a compound binocular microscope.
To record the results of the investigation you conducted, a sample table of results may be seen in the article. Instructions on how to record your results are also provided.
Hopefully for teachers and students, this article will prove yet to be another fun way in the process of learning and getting to know more about bacteria and microbes.
