Prior to the commencement of the experiment, several hypotheses were made in regards to the efficacy of different household antibacterial products on two species of bacteria. The first hypothesis predicted that the most afflicted species of bacteria would be Staphylococcus aureus; the second suggested that products A and C would be more effective at killing both species of bacteria than product B; whilst the third hypothesis proposed that product A would be most active against S.aureus.
The assumption that Staphylococcus aureus would be more susceptible to the bactericidal effects of the tested antibacterial agents than Escherichia coli was based on the species’ classification as gram-positive. In order to be classified as gram-positive, a …show more content…
This was particularly evident in Table 1, which demonstrates the raw data and relevant calculations for the bacterium S.aureus. It can be observed in this data table that the standard deviation of the mean for product A was 16.92, whilst the standard error was 9.77, indicating that of the three trials, there was a great disparity between the results. When conducting an experimental investigation, the aim is to gather precise results – that is, results that are in high agreeance and are minimally varied. It can thus be inferred from these results that there must have been a high degree of error within the experiment. Although it is unknown how significantly each form of experimental error affected the results, the faults must be discussed such that recommendations can be made in order to prevent the return of such flawed results. The first source of error which is highly likely to have impacted the results is the severe contamination present in seven of the eight plates used to culture the bacteria. The species of said microorganisms are unknown, and thus it is not possible to determine the exact effects of the contaminants. However, a study conducted by the Department of Biology, Indiana University, which investigated the growth of particular bacterium when cultured with other species. The results of the laboratory experiments revealed that many microorganisms can impair the growth of, or eliminate bacteria – effectively acting as a bactericidal or bacteriostatic agent (Hibbing, M. E., Fuqua, C., Parsek, M. R., & Peterson, S. B. 2010). If the contaminant species were capable of this behaviour, it is likely the reason for the major discrepancies and high standard error in the data. Experimental error is, however, simply a flaw in the experimental method, and thus it can be rectified. Using an autoclave – a pressure chamber used to sterilise
The assumption that Staphylococcus aureus would be more susceptible to the bactericidal effects of the tested antibacterial agents than Escherichia coli was based on the species’ classification as gram-positive. In order to be classified as gram-positive, a …show more content…
This was particularly evident in Table 1, which demonstrates the raw data and relevant calculations for the bacterium S.aureus. It can be observed in this data table that the standard deviation of the mean for product A was 16.92, whilst the standard error was 9.77, indicating that of the three trials, there was a great disparity between the results. When conducting an experimental investigation, the aim is to gather precise results – that is, results that are in high agreeance and are minimally varied. It can thus be inferred from these results that there must have been a high degree of error within the experiment. Although it is unknown how significantly each form of experimental error affected the results, the faults must be discussed such that recommendations can be made in order to prevent the return of such flawed results. The first source of error which is highly likely to have impacted the results is the severe contamination present in seven of the eight plates used to culture the bacteria. The species of said microorganisms are unknown, and thus it is not possible to determine the exact effects of the contaminants. However, a study conducted by the Department of Biology, Indiana University, which investigated the growth of particular bacterium when cultured with other species. The results of the laboratory experiments revealed that many microorganisms can impair the growth of, or eliminate bacteria – effectively acting as a bactericidal or bacteriostatic agent (Hibbing, M. E., Fuqua, C., Parsek, M. R., & Peterson, S. B. 2010). If the contaminant species were capable of this behaviour, it is likely the reason for the major discrepancies and high standard error in the data. Experimental error is, however, simply a flaw in the experimental method, and thus it can be rectified. Using an autoclave – a pressure chamber used to sterilise