Assume that your lab partner swabs the side of his face and uses the swab to inoculate a nutrient agar plate. The next day, he performs a Gram stain on the colonies. They are gram- positive cocci. You advise him that he should next look for

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Gram-positive cocci can be further classified into different genera, some of which may be pathogenic. Coagulase is an enzyme produced by certain pathogenic species of Staphylococcus that can cause clotting of blood and contribute to the formation of abscesses. Therefore, a coagulase reaction can be a useful test to distinguish potentially pathogenic from non-pathogenic gram-positive cocci. Option A (conidiospores) and option E (pseudohyphae) are features commonly found in fungi, not bacteria. Option B (pseudopods) is a feature of amoebas, not bacteria. Option D (acid-fast reaction) is a test used to identify Mycobacterium species, which are acid-fast bacteria that cause tuberculosis and other diseases.

Assume That Your Lab Partner Swabs the Side of His