The Effect of Antibiotics Versus Home Remedies on the Prevention of Streptococcus Bacteria
The goal of the experiment was to correctly identify which treatment between antibiotics, amoxicillin, or home remedies, garlic juice and tea, would prevent the most streptococcus bacteria from growing. Agar was poured into Petri dishes to support bacteria growth. Then, the bacteria were diluted using three dilutions before being poured into the Petri dish. The amoxicillin treatment was administered using amoxicillin tablets inserted directly onto the bacteria plate. The garlic and tea treatments were administered by soaking coffee filters in the treatment then inserting directly onto the plate. The trial order was randomized using the RandInt program on a TI-84 calculator. This randomization determined the order in which the treatments would be administered. To determine which treatment prevented the most bacteria, a caliper was used to measure the zone of inhibition around the bacteria. The zone was measured at three points to ensure that the zone would be accurate, even if the zone was not circular.
The purpose of the experiment was to determine if home remedies or antibiotic treatment worked better on preventing bacteria growth. With the conclusion of the experiment, it was discovered that the tea was least preventative for streptococcus bacteria. In many trials, the bacteria would grow directly on top of the treatment. The garlic and amoxicillin were determined to prevent the bacteria growth equally, neither had a greater effect than the other. It cannot be proven from our experiment which treatment was most preventative, only that amoxicillin and garlic were equal, and tea was less preventative. The results of this experiment will allow an average person to determine if they should go to a doctor for antibiotics or try a home remedy when they become ill with the confidence that both treatments would work equally well.
Research Done By:
Laura Sowers
Warren Mott High School
Tori Vives
South Lake High School
Warren Consolidated Schools