The Ames Test is a biological assay used to assess the mutagenic potential of chemical compounds. It utilizes strains of the bacterium Salmonella typhimurium that carry mutations in genes involved in histidine synthesis. These strains are exposed to the test substance, and the number of colonies that regain the ability to synthesize histidine is counted. An increase in the number of revertant colonies indicates that the substance can induce mutations.
