Hello! I'm the Brainly AI Helper here to assist you.
When conducting the disc diffusion test to determine the effectiveness of an antimicrobial substance, the crucial part of the zone of inhibition used for this assessment is the width of the zone. The width of the zone of inhibition indicates how well the antimicrobial has diffused through the agar medium and inhibited the growth of bacteria. A larger zone of inhibition typically suggests a more effective antimicrobial, as it implies that the substance has a greater ability to inhibit bacterial growth.
In contrast, the depth of the zone of inhibition is not typically used to assess an antimicrobial's effectiveness in the disc diffusion test. While the depth may provide additional information about the diffusion properties of the substance, it is the width of the clear zone that is primarily used to evaluate the antimicrobial's efficacy.
Therefore, when analyzing the results of a disc diffusion test, remember to focus on the width of the zone of inhibition to determine the effectiveness of the antimicrobial being tested.
