Question

In the Ames test, mutagenicity is normally tested on a strain of bacterium (Salmonella typhimurium) that cannot synthesize the amino acid histidine. Therefore, these bacteria require histidine in the growth plate to survive. A researcher performs the Ames test to evaluate the mutagenicity of a newly synthesized compound and notices that Salmonella typhimurium is living on a histidine-free growth plate. What can be assumed from these results?

Answer 1

The results of the Ames test, where bacteria can grow on a histidine-free growth plate, suggest that the newly synthesized compound is mutagenic.

Step-by-step explanation:

The results of the Ames test, where Salmonella typhimurium is living on a histidine-free growth plate, suggest that the newly synthesized compound tested is mutagenic. In the Ames test, the bacterial strain used cannot synthesize histidine, so it requires histidine in the growth plate to survive. If the bacteria are able to grow on a histidine-free plate, it indicates that mutations have occurred in the bacterium's DNA, allowing it to regain the ability to synthesize histidine. This suggests that the newly synthesized compound is mutagenic.