The purpose of the coagulase test is to determine whether a bacterium produces coagulase , an enzyme capable of coagulating liquid rabbit plasma into a solid clot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Coagulase tests are performed using a slide agglutination test, where cells from pure colonies are added to two drops of distilled water and mixed to suspend the cells. Then, rabbit plasma is added to one of the suspensions to see if coagulase will cause agglutination of the bacteria into visible clots of cells.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The culture can be grown on any nutrient medium. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fresh colonies of the microbe being tested are mixed with two drops of distilled water placed at opposite ends of a microscope slide. To one of these cell suspensions, a drop of rabbit plasma is added and mixed. The other serves as the control. After several minutes, the cell suspensions are observed for the presence of cell agglutination (clumping), evidence of the presence of the enzyme coagulase. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rabbit plasma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To view the coagulase test in VUMIE Online\u00a9 Online Lab, complete the following steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Open the Tests link above the Virtual lab and select the\u00a0Coagulase\u00a0Video<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Observe the test and interpret the results. If the bacterium possesses coagulase, the rabbit plasma will clot due to the presence of the coagulase enzyme. The normally homogeneous cell suspension will form irregular clots. If coagulase is not produced, the medium will remain homogeneous and lack visible clots. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. Record the test result observed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nVUMIE is the flight simulator of microbiology labs.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n