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What is the area of lysis called on a bacterial lawn?

A. Clear zone
B. Growth zone
C. Inhibition zone
D. Lysogenic zone

Answer :

Final answer:

The area of lysis, or breakdown, on a bacterial lawn caused by viral infection is known as a clear zone or plaque. This is often seen in techniques such as the Disk-Diffusion Method, which measures bacterial susceptibility to antibiotics. It can also offer insights into viral replication and host cell interactions.

Explanation:

The area of lysis on a bacterial lawn is called a clear zone. This is usually observed when a bacterial lawn is infected with a virus, commonly a bacteriophage, which causes the bacterial cells to lyse or break apart. The broken cells result in a noticeable clear zone, a region free from bacterial growth, also referred to as a plaque. A bacteriophage infects and uses the bacterial cells for its own replication. After replicating, the new viruses then cause the host bacterial cells to lyse, releasing the new viruses which can then infect other cells. This causes a clear zone in the bacterial lawn, a region where there are no growing bacteria due to the lysis.

Disk-Diffusion Method can be used to visualize this process, where different chemicals are applied to separate, sterile filter paper disks. The disks are then placed on an agar plate that has been inoculated with the targeted bacterium. Zones of inhibition of microbial growth are observed as clear areas around the disks.

This understanding of the clear zone's formation can be extended to the concept of antibiotic sensitivity testing where clear zones, or zones of inhibition, indicate bacterial susceptibility to the antibiotic.

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