Beginners usually assume each colony grew from a single bacteria, but experts prefer say each colony originated from a colony-forming unit. Dead bacteria do not form colonies. Some bacteria occur as single cells. Other species hang together in chains or clumps of 2 or more bacteria. A piece of dirt with 10 bacteria on it will form a single colony.
Molecular biologists do everything with as much precision as possible.
Therefore, they prefer to work with bacteria which do not form chains or clumps. Other Methods for Counting Bacteria Counting Chambers Counting chambers automaticly fill with a certain volume. There are several kinds of counting chambers but they all consist of a special microscope slide with a coverglass. Fill chamber with bacterial liquid culture according to manufactuer's instructions. Place slide under microscope Count the bacteria according to the instruction sheet.