# What are these bacteria on agar from an 8-year-old kid's palm? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 14, 2015, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-bacteria-on-agar-from-an-8-year-old-kids-palm/722521 "2015-06-14T18:15:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2015, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-bacteria-on-agar-from-an-8-year-old-kids-palm/722521/1 "2015-06-14T18:15:53Z")
See [subject](http://imgur.com/gallery/H8wLda5). It’s a cool photo. These growths occur in a standard/default preparation of agar, right? Which is what? And deposited under certain delimited environmental conditions? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2015, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-bacteria-on-agar-from-an-8-year-old-kids-palm/722521/2 "2015-06-14T18:50:40Z")
I can’t parse most of your OP, but I see Serratia marcescens growing. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2015, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-bacteria-on-agar-from-an-8-year-old-kids-palm/722521/3 "2015-06-14T19:29:25Z")
The yellow circles are most likely staphylococcus aureus ---
**Author:** ![blue\_infinity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_infinity/32/2817_2.png) [@blue\_infinity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blue_infinity)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-bacteria-on-agar-from-an-8-year-old-kids-palm/722521/4 "2015-06-15T06:45:59Z")
The photo was originally posted [here](http://www.microbeworld.org/component/jlibrary/?view=article&id=13867). Some close ups [1](http://www.microbeworld.org/component/jlibrary/?view=article&id=13870) [2](http://www.microbeworld.org/component/jlibrary/?view=article&id=13869). Author says the big white blob is probably Bacillus. The other white is Staph, and the yellow and orange bits are most likely yeast. There’s also a description of the agar solution and procedure she used. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-bacteria-on-agar-from-an-8-year-old-kids-palm/722521/5 "2015-06-15T15:18:58Z")
Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-bacteria-on-agar-from-an-8-year-old-kids-palm/722521/6 "2015-06-15T15:20:30Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > I can’t parse most of your OP… **Blue infinity** could. ---
**Author:** ![Crazier\_Catlady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Crazier\_Catlady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazier_Catlady)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2015, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-bacteria-on-agar-from-an-8-year-old-kids-palm/722521/7 "2015-06-17T10:59:43Z")
If it’s from the palm of an eight year old, there’s probably something there that’s suitable for bacteriological warfare…