COLONY MORPHOLOGY AND CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURE

1. COLONY MORPHOLOGY
&
CHARACTERISTICS OF
CULTURE
SUBMITTED TO SUBMITTED BY
Dr. ANU.P.A AKHILA K.S
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, SIMI V.K
DEPARTMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY FIRST YEAR,
ST.MARY’S COLLEGE, THRISSUR MVOC. APPLIED BIOTECHNOLOGY
ST.MARY’S COLLEGE, THRISSUR

2. COLONY & COLONY MORPHOLOGY
• A colony is defined as a visible mass of microorganisms, all
originating from a single mother.
• So a colony consist of clone of cells genetically alike.
• Microorganisms like bacteria grow on solid media as colonies.
• Colonies are described on the basis of size, shape, texture,
elevation, pigmentation and effect on growth medium.
• So in order to identify a bacteria and fungi we should know
how an organism grow in or on media.
AKHILA K.S & SIMI V.K,ST.MARY'S COLLEGE,THRISSUR 2

3. • The identification of the
cultural characteristics of a
bacterium on agar plate is
called colony morphology.
• This study of colony
morphology can be very
useful in distinguishing
microorganism from each
other.
AKHILA K.S & SIMI V.K,ST.MARY'S
COLLEGE,THRISSUR
3

4. CHARACTERS
1. COLONY SHAPE
a. FORM
b. ELEVATION
c. MARGIN
2. COLONY SIZE
3. COLONY COLOUR/PIGMENTATION
4. APPEARANCE OF COLONY SURFACE
5. COLONY ODOUR
6. OPACITY
7. CONSISTENCY/TEXTURE
AKHILA K.S & SIMI V.K,ST.MARY'S
COLLEGE,THRISSUR
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5. COLONY SHAPE
Form of colony
• It refers to the shape of the colony.
• The most common shapes are circular, irregular,
filamentous, rhizoid, punctiform, spindle etc.
AKHILA K.S & SIMI V.K,ST.MARY'S COLLEGE,THRISSUR 5
https://www.ruf.rice.edu/~bioslabs/BIOC318/Image_files/Morphology/form.png

6. Elevation of colony
• This describes as the side view of a colony.
• The most common are flat, raised, umbonate,
crateiform, convex, pulvinate.
AKHILA K.S & SIMI V.K,ST.MARY'S COLLEGE,THRISSUR 6
https://i1.wp.com/microbeonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Elevation-of-bacterial-colony.jpg

7. Margin of colony
• This refers to how the edge of each colony is seen.
• Some are entire/smooth, irregular, undulate/wavy,
lobate, curled, filamentous etc.
AKHILA K.S & SIMI V.K,ST.MARY'S COLLEGE,THRISSUR 7
https://www.ruf.rice.edu/~bioslabs/BIOC318/Image_files/Morphology/margin.png

8. Size of colony
• The diameter of a colony
may be measured in
millimeters.
• described in relative
terms such as pinpoint,
small, medium, large.
AKHILA K.S & SIMI V.K,ST.MARY'S COLLEGE,THRISSUR 8
PINPOINT SMALL
MEDIUM LARGE
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.researchgate.net%2Ffigure%2FColonie
s-were-classified-into-four-different-size-categories-according-to-their-
diameter_fig3_12151058&psig=AOvVaw1JL2Ig3PtxucQJzb2--
uhp&ust=1610555928604000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCKC65sHqlu4CFQAAAAA
dAAAAABAD

9. Pigmentation of colony
• Some bacteria produce
pigments when they
grow in the medium.
• Some bacteria capable
are Staphylococcus
aureus, Stretomyces sp.,
Bacillus sp.,
Chryseobacterium
indologenes, etc.
AKHILA K.S & SIMI V.K,ST.MARY'S COLLEGE,THRISSUR 9
https://laboratoryinfo.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Images-of-the-
bacterial-colony-with-a-varying-degree-of-pigmentation.jpg

10. Appearance of colony surface
• Colonies are frequently shiny and smooth in appearance.
• But some may be dull, rough, wrinkled, glistening etc.
AKHILA K.S & SIMI V.K,ST.MARY'S COLLEGE,THRISSUR 10
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ha
ider_Alnaji2/publication/328342721/figure
/fig1/AS:682733193940992@15397876860
20/Smooth-S-and-rough-R-colonies-of-S-
pneumoniae.png
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kimberley_
Mclaughlin/publication/305121090/figure/fig8/AS:
382504377831430@1468207558682/Variation-in-
colony-formation-on-agar-plates-during-fitness-
assay-KB-plates-inoculated.png
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DY3I
capUMAIlRVD.jpg
GLISTENING
WRINKLED
ROUGH
SMOOTH

11. Colony Odour
• Some microbes produce a characteristics smell
which sometimes help in identification.
• For example actinomycetes produce an earthy
odour which is experienced after a rain.
• Many fungi produce fruity smell
• E.coli produce a faecal odour.
AKHILA K.S & SIMI V.K,ST.MARY'S COLLEGE,THRISSUR 11

12. Opacity of colony
• The opacity of microbial colony can be:
• Transparent(clear)
• Translucent(almost clear with distorted
vision)
• Opaque(not clear)
AKHILA K.S & SIMI V.K,ST.MARY'S
COLLEGE,THRISSUR
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13. Opacity of colony
AKHILA K.S & SIMI V.K,ST.MARY'S COLLEGE,THRISSUR 13
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Streptococcus_pyogenes_(L
ancefield_Group_A)_on_Columbia_Horse_Blood_Agar.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Staphylococcus_
aureus.jpeg
TRANSPARENT OPAQUE
TRANSLUCENT
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fmicrobeonline.com%2Fcolo
ny-morphology-bacteria-describe-bacterial-
colonies%2F&psig=AOvVaw2JWy9hhKwxB0ZIoa467GtG&ust=1610289127366000&so
urce=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCLD5rZSKj-4CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAK

14. Consistency or texture of colony
Some are butyrous(buttery), viscid(sticky), brittle(dry/breakable),
mucoid(mucus like).
AKHILA K.S & SIMI V.K,ST.MARY'S COLLEGE,THRISSUR 14
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/304614226/figure/fig4/AS:411
371100491777@1475089921104/Dry-chalky-white-colonies-of-Nocardia-
grown-on-blood-agar.png
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.researchgate.net
%2Ffigure%2FString-test-for-Klebsiella-pneumonia-mucoid-
colonies_fig3_319130439&psig=AOvVaw17A9dmL9NSzIisrw1qfJm5&ust=161028
5436946000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCMCvte76ju4CFQAA
AAAdAAAAABAD
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.microbiolo
gyinpictures.com%2Fbacteria-photos%2Fpseudomonas-aeruginosa-
photos%2Fmucous-pseudomonas-
aeruginosa.html&psig=AOvVaw31ajros93ZXrodiJjdACV_&ust=1610285510
732000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCKib_JH7ju4CFQAA
AAAdAAAAABAD
BRITTLE STICKY
MUCOID
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.morton-
pub.com%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fpromos%2Fcustomlab_cover_wpages_
micro.pdf&psig=AOvVaw0Cs67KNRbyhJFpLGpomthR&ust=1610290070589000&s
ource=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCKCZnpWMj-
4CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAK
BUTYROUS

15. Characters in a glance
AKHILA K.S & SIMI V.K,ST.MARY'S COLLEGE,THRISSUR 15
https://player.slideplayer.com/78/12828098/slides/slide_12.jpg

16. AKHILA K.S & SIMI V.K,ST.MARY'S
COLLEGE,THRISSUR
16
Circular, entire
margin, opaque,
smooth, golden
yellow
Filamentous,
filiform, opaque,
wrinkled, white,
convex
Circular, entire,
opaque, umbonate,
smooth, red
Rhizoid, filiform,
opaque, raised,
rough, white
Circular, entire,
opaque, flat, grey,
smooth
Irregular, undulate
margin, opaque,
pulvinate, rough
Irregular, undulate,
opaque, weak
umbonate, white
smooth
Circular, entire
margin, opaque,
smooth, black,
pulvinate
SOME BACTERIAL COLONIES

17. REFERENCES
 Lansing.M.Prescott, Harley & Klein, Microbiology 5th
edition,(pg.no.-108-110). ISBN-0-07-282905-2
 https://slideplayer.com/slide/14572325/
 https://www2.slideshare.net/vivekaiden/colony-
morphology-characteristics-of-cultures
 https://microbiologysociety.org/why-microbiology-
matters/what-is-microbiology/bacteria/observing-
bacteria-in-a-petri-dish.html
17AKHILA K.S & SIMI V.K,ST.MARY'S COLLEGE,THRISSUR

18. 18AKHILA K.S & SIMI V.K,ST.MARY'S COLLEGE,THRISSUR
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