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The Colors Of Microbiology: Bacteria, Fungi & More
colourlovers.com — The color of micro-organisms (fungi, bacteria, algae, and such) is due to different colored substances in the cells. For instance, bacteria use variants of chlorophyll (the green in plants) but absorb light of different wavelengths creating natural colors of purple, pink, green, yellow, orange, and brown.
MrBabyMan- 690 diggs
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- mstachiw, on 08/26/2008, -0/+10i always thought most of those microbiological images were color dyed or simulated in post... nice to know small things come in big colors
- Ickthud, on 08/26/2008, -0/+11Sorry, most of the colour in these particular shots are false colour (for the viral EMs) or come from stains or indicators used on the sample or in the growth media. That said reds, pinks, and yellows are quite common for microbes (S. aureus is called S. aureus for a reason!), and reds, blues and greens for fungi and archea.
I once worked with a strain of yeast that was a wonderful cheerful russet colour (it had an ADE2 mutation for those that care),
The fact that they're stained doesn't stop the pictures being beautiful of course; I've always loved the deep rich colour of Coomassie Blue stain for example.- MrBabbyMan, on 08/26/2008, -0/+3Thanks for the insight!
- leerayIG88, on 08/27/2008, -1/+3you sound smart, i must digg you up.
- Ickthud, on 08/26/2008, -0/+11Sorry, most of the colour in these particular shots are false colour (for the viral EMs) or come from stains or indicators used on the sample or in the growth media. That said reds, pinks, and yellows are quite common for microbes (S. aureus is called S. aureus for a reason!), and reds, blues and greens for fungi and archea.
- jimmiejo, on 08/26/2008, -0/+5Those colourful little bastards are secretly planning to rule the world! Damn you micro-organisms!
- DeltaSix, on 08/30/2008, -0/+1They already do rule the world. They have been here long before we were and will be here long after.
- chadu, on 08/26/2008, -0/+6gorgeous palettes.
- jd33, on 08/27/2008, -0/+1thank you.
- t4k3n, on 08/27/2008, -4/+10i love hanging out with mushrooms. They're such a fungi to be around.....
uuuuhhh...I feel dirty..
I deserve a PUNishment....- lulzy, on 08/27/2008, -0/+3double kill!
- FishHammer, on 08/27/2008, -2/+1jesus christ how in the ***** do you think that is funny? I wish I could bury twice.
- mjf7419, on 08/27/2008, -2/+4What a Fun-guy!
- nypix, on 08/27/2008, -0/+2A mushroom walks into a bar. Bartenders says he don't serve his kind here.
Mushroom says, "But why, I'm a fungi"
- nypix, on 08/27/2008, -0/+2A mushroom walks into a bar. Bartenders says he don't serve his kind here.
- Gbobrt4, on 08/27/2008, -0/+4Ah microbiology memories, three-phase streaking patterns, I messed those up quite a few times. I always made the damn wire go through the media.
- TheMachine1, on 08/27/2008, -1/+3A microorganism is never alone because in short order he can make more friends than there people on the Earth but still less than MrBabyMan.
- tadhgisaledgend, on 08/27/2008, -6/+1Shame that this is the only type of culture America has.
- lulzy, on 08/27/2008, -0/+3clever, i'll give you that, but thats still a douchebag comment
buried for faggotry
- lulzy, on 08/27/2008, -0/+3clever, i'll give you that, but thats still a douchebag comment
- dcoolidge, on 08/27/2008, -0/+6I, for one, welcome our multicolored tiny overlords.
- rickh57, on 08/27/2008, -0/+0My first career was working as a Medical Technologist in a hospital laboratory. Some of the nastiest bacteria was very colorful when growing on agar of various kinds.
- erichw1504, on 08/27/2008, -0/+1What has four wheels and flies?
- erichw1504, on 08/27/2008, -0/+1A garbage truck.
- immski, on 08/27/2008, -0/+2Dugg for making the insanely disgusting and infectious look somewhat pretty.
- bsolidgold, on 08/27/2008, -0/+1... oh my!
- MissionWanted, on 08/27/2008, -0/+1Okay, so yea bacteria do have different pigments depending on the genus and/or species but also the variety of colors is mainly a result of the kind of media the bacteria is plated on and the metabolism of the organism. For instance, fermentors on particular media, will turn the agar yellow and organisms with alpha hemolysis on sheep's blood agar will turn the media surrounding it green to brown. Honestly, the colors of the colonies on various media, does not need color enhancement; they're already amazing. Some just grow naturally as bright pink, orange or green. Leave the little guys alone some things don't need enhancing!
- feathersanddoom, on 08/29/2008, -1/+1really dude?
- DeltaSix, on 08/30/2008, -0/+1Yes, really. Your facetiousness in regards to something you dont understand is simply stupifying.
- feathersanddoom, on 08/29/2008, -1/+1really dude?
- lolgasmic, on 08/27/2008, -0/+2Grow your own strain of disco lights, for the inner geek!
for our year 11 genetics praticle we were supposed "make" some glowing bacteria, instead we extracted onion DNA. /sigh I wanted a rave in a science lab! - JCougar, on 08/27/2008, -0/+2So that's where the rastas get their colors from!
- Shiftgood, on 08/27/2008, -0/+3Check this out. Microbiologists brewed a beer using 45 million year old yeast extracted from amber.
http://www.ibabuzz.com/beer/2008/08/06/sampling-a- ...
Ive had it, its pretty ***** good. - anonysumo, on 08/27/2008, -0/+0Wow, this offers a whole new way of looking at the stachybotris that's currently trying to kill me.
- Yage2006, on 08/27/2008, -0/+1I feel sick.
- Geft, on 08/28/2008, -0/+0I don't really need to know the color of a urine plate.
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