What is a dichotomous key for gram negative bacteria?

Microbiology. A Dichotomous Key for the. Identification of Miscellaneous. Gram-Negative Bacteria by Jim Romeo, MT(ASCP)SM. In recent years the development of rapid identifica- tion systems along with the availability of various new media have greatly simplified the identification of common clinically significant bacteria. read more

Let’s break down the phrase “dichotomous key for gram negative bacteria”: dichotomous key — “dichotomous” means “divided into two parts or classifications”. A “dichotomous key” is a tool that microbiologists use to identify bacteria by progressively refining the criteria in a binary way (either the organism does or does not possess some particular feature). read more

Items covered in a dichotomous key include whether bacteria are Gram positive or negative, catalase positive or negative, have nitrate enzymes, and contain the enzyme coagulase. The key is a set of questions that when complete help identify the bacteria. read more