Definition of

Petri dish

Petri dish

The Petri dish is used for the cultivation of cells and microorganisms.

The Petri dish is a container for growing cells . The device was invented by Julius Richard Petri , a German scientist born on May 31, 1852 in Barmen , a district belonging to the city of Wuppertal , and died on December 20, 1921 in Zeitz .

Specialized in microbiology, Petri created this element in 1877 while collaborating with Robert Koch ( 18431910 ), the doctor who received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1905 .

Features of the Petri dish

The Petri dish , also called Petri dish , is round in shape and has a lid with a diameter larger than the container itself. This allows the box to close but not airtight.

It is common for Petri dishes to be used in laboratories for the cultivation of cells and microorganisms. Usually the bottom of the container is covered with a culture medium and then the bacteria or organisms in question proliferate.

Science

Petri dishes are used in laboratories.

Other information of interest

In addition to everything stated above, it is necessary to know other relevant aspects about the Petri dish :

  • In addition to growing cells, it allows us to observe the behavior of some small animals and even to germinate seeds. In the same way, it is also used to knead solids.
  • The discovery and creation of the Petri dish immediately became a true revolution. Since then it has played an essential role in history because, among other things, it has served to isolate organisms related to diseases such as cholera or diphtheria.
  • It is essential for people who work with this type of device to maintain safety and precautionary measures to avoid suffering an infection.
  • Some models of this box feature grooves or raised details. The objective is that when they are stored they cannot slip from the surface on which they are located.
  • They are usually about 10 centimeters in diameter and made of two materials: glass or plastic. The advantages of glass ones are that they can be reused after sterilization and decontamination using an oven at a temperature of approximately 160º.

Techniques for using the Petri dish

There are different techniques for using the Petri dish .

If you wish to study colonies of microorganisms, the container can be placed upside down so that the culture medium is in the upper sector. When the water vapor caused by the organisms' metabolism condenses, it falls on the lid, while the beings remain attached to the substrate.