Define Factors Which May Lead To Errors in Count?

There are many factors, which may lead to errors in count.

(i) Counts may be low if the agar medium used in the technique does not support the microbial growth.

(ii) The hot agar used in pour plate may kill the cells, leading to low microbial count.

(iii) Low count may result if clump of cells is not broken up and microorganisms are not dispersed well.

(iv) Colony development also depends on incubation conditions and incubation time. Short incubation time may result in development of lesser colonies because different cells on plate grow at different time.

(v) It is difficult to count very small colonies and may give inaccurate count. For more accurate counts, a special colony counter can be used.