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petri dish
Definition
A petri dish is a shallow dish with a lid that is used to grow microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. It is named after its inventor, German bacteriologist Julius Richard Petri.
Petri dishes are made of glass or plastic and have a flat bottom and a slightly curved lid. The lid helps to keep the microorganisms inside the dish from drying out and from being contaminated by other microorganisms in the air.
Petri dishes are often used in science experiments to grow and study microorganisms. Scientists can add different types of nutrients to the dish to see how the microorganisms grow. They can also add different types of antibiotics to see how the microorganisms are affected.
Petri dishes are a valuable tool for scientists because they allow them to grow and study microorganisms in a controlled environment.
How can the word be used?
The scientist placed the bacteria sample on a Petri dish.
Different forms of the word
Noun:
- Petri dish (a shallow transparent dish with a loose cover used especially for cultures of bacteria).
- Petri plate (a shallow transparent dish with a loose cover used especially for cultures of bacteria).
Adjective:
- Petri dish (of or relating to a Petri dish).
Etymology
The word "Petri dish" is named after its inventor, German bacteriologist Julius Richard Petri (1852-1921). Petri did not invent the culture dish himself; rather, it was a modified version of Koch's invention which used an agar medium that was developed by Walther Hesse. Koch had published a precursor dish in a booklet in 1881 titled "Zur Untersuchung von Pathogenen Organismen" (Methods for the Study of Pathogenic Organisms), which has been known as the "Bible of Bacteriology".
The word "Petri dish" was first used in English in 1892.
Question
What are petri dishes used for?