Wet Mounts
Wet mount preparation:
These are non-heat-fixed slides.
How many types of "wet mount preparations" are there?TWO.
1) The normal wet mount and 2) the hanging drop method.
When are wet mounts used?
Wet mounts are used when you need/want to visualize a LIVING microorganisms. For example, in order to determine if an organism is motile (able to move) or not, the wet mount method should be used.
Are wet mounts heat-fixed?
NO! Heat-fixing the slide would kill the microorganisms on the slide, and defeat the purpose of using a wet mount.
Are wet mounts stained?
NO! Staining techniques would kill the microorganisms on the slide, and defeat the purpose of using a wet mount.
1) The normal wet mount and 2) the hanging drop method.
When are wet mounts used?
Wet mounts are used when you need/want to visualize a LIVING microorganisms. For example, in order to determine if an organism is motile (able to move) or not, the wet mount method should be used.
Are wet mounts heat-fixed?
NO! Heat-fixing the slide would kill the microorganisms on the slide, and defeat the purpose of using a wet mount.
Are wet mounts stained?
NO! Staining techniques would kill the microorganisms on the slide, and defeat the purpose of using a wet mount.
Other considerations:
- Because Wet Mounts use water, we cannot use 100X oil immersion objectives for viewing.
- Bright lights can dry out wet mounts and heat up microorganisms, so work quickly under dim light.
PART I WET MOUNT
- Prepare wet mount slides of both S. aureus and P. vulgaris using 5 loopfuls of each organism in the center of a slide
- Cover the organism with a cover slip.
- View under 400X magnification immediately, otherwise the culture will dry and you will not see anything move. Do not go to oil, you may crack the coverslip.