How to Prepare a Wet Mount - MCCC Microbiology

This demonstration is how
to prepare a wet mount.

The purpose of
doing a wet mount is

to check for the
motility of a cell

and also the size of a cell.

Make sure your gloves
and your goggles are on.

I'll be demonstrating how
to do a wet mount when

the starting
material is a liquid

and then when the starting
material is coming

from a colony on a Petri plate.

Start by taking a
slide from the box.

You will need a cover slip.

Cover slips are squares of
either glass or plastic,

and they are separated by
pieces of tissue paper.

When the starting
material is a liquid,

take a drop of the material.

Put it in the
center of the slide.

Take your cover slip.

Hold it at a 45-degree
angle, touching the slide,

and gently drop it.

When the starting material
is a colony on a Petri plate,

you will take a
slide, and you're

going to put a drop
of deionized water

in the center of the slide.

Then using aseptic
technique, you'll

be using your inoculating loop.

You'll need to sterilize
your inoculating

loop by putting the loop into
the flame of the Bunsen burner.

Remove the lid from the plate.

If there's an area
on the plate where

you can touch the loop
to cool it beforehand,

that would be a good idea.

Touch the surface of a colony.

Immediately put the
lid back on the plate.

Put the loop in
the drop of water.

Spread it around about
the size of a dime.

Sterilize the loop before
you put it on the bench,

and turn off the Bunsen burner.

Take a cover slip.

Hold it at a 45-degree angle and
gently drop it on the sample.