Antibacterial Soap Hypothesis

Purpose: The purpose of this lab was to compare the effect of using soap (antibacterial and non-antibacterial) and no soap on the growth of Escherichia coli (E.Coli). Hypothesis: If anti-bacterial and non-antibacterial soaps are added to a standard agar media before the E.Coli was introduced and incubated, then the portion of the plate containing the antibacterial soap will have the least amount of bacterial growth because the antibacterial soap contains a higher percentage of bacteria-killing chemicals. Theory: E.Coli is a gram-negative rod-shaped bacterium that commonly inhabits the lower intestines of warm blooded animals. E.Coli is important in the body because it helps synthesize vitamin K, which is vital to blood clotting, and prevents the colonization of pathogenic bacteria in the intestines. E.Coli reproduces using binary fission, a process that creates two identical daughter cells. Binary fission means that the bacteria reproduce by splitting the cell wall into two separate cells …show more content…
The most common chemicals found in antibacterial soaps are triclosan, triclocarban, and chloroxylenol. Most of the chemicals found in antibacterial soaps are aromatic hydrocarbons, which are molecules that contain a phenyl functional group, and work by interrupting the cell membrane potential in bacteria and prevent them from replicating. However, these chemicals are not specific to certain bacteria and frequency use can kill all bacteria, good and bad, in the body. Therefore, non antibacterial soaps have become more popular. These soaps do not contain the extra antibacterial chemicals, yet are effective in removing dirt and oils from the skin. The lack of an added antibacterial agent should make it less effective in the removal of unhealthy bacteria on the skin, yet is also does not remove the harmless bacteria living on the