One of my biggest aseptic technique error was the

techniques that came into play when smearing. One of my biggest aseptic technique error was
the step to flame the test tube after opening and before closing. To help improve that technique I
went into lab hours and focused on that specific technique while also improving my streaking
technique. While smearing I observed that it was beneficial to work closer to the 1.5-foot mark
so the heat wouldn’t evaporate the water or the bacteria. After successfully smearing and staining
I observed the two slides under the microscope. When setting up the microscope I made sure the
objective lens was set to 10 before using the eyepiece to view the slide. The difference between
each objective lens is the amount of magnification each has. The first lens has a magnification of
10x, then 40x and 100x which is used for oil immersion. After reaching oil immersion I was able
to view the slides. The first one I observed was Escherichia coli was violet colored and single
rod. The second slide I observed was Staphylococcus aureus was violet colored, coccus and
clustered together. My slides were appropriately stained and smearing giving me the chance to
observe them under the microscope. In protozoa, Amoeba, Paramecium, and Euglena are all
viewed with a 100-400x magnification while Algae depends on whether if it is Chorella (100x),
Oocystis (700x) or Spirogyra (175x) and bacteria is viewed at 1000x.