Problem
A. Describe how you can quantify the size difference between the tick and the mite using the microscope.
B. Why must specimens viewed with a compound microscope be thin or chemically cleared?
C. Why are specimens viewed with a compound microscope sometimes stained with dyes?
D. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using a compound microscope versus a stereoscope?
E. Why is it important to adjust the light intensity when viewing a specimen with a compound microscope?
F. How can depth of field affect your ability to find and examine a specimen?
G. Of the three bacterial cell shapes you observed, which is most likely to have moved using flagella when living? Which shape is the least likely to have moved with flagella?
H. Some bacteria are harmful to humans, but most are not. Provide one example of a harmful species and one example of a harmless species for each of the three common bacterial cell shapes.
I. List three harmful bacteria that were NOT mentioned in your answer to question 8, along with the conditions they cause. Also, note the cell shape of each.
J. Describe the acid-fast staining technique. What dyes are used? What is the technique commonly used for?
K. Describe the endospore staining technique. What dyes are used? What is the technique commonly used for? Why would it matter if an organism is capable of producing endospores?
L. Explain why some bacterial species are described as endospore-forming or acid-fast.