Culture medium

Definition

A culture medium is a substance that provides the essential nutrients for microorganisms to grow. It can be solid, liquid, or semi-solid depending on its physical state.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Culture media can be classified into different types such as selective, differential, and enriched based on their composition and purpose.
2. Sterilization of the culture medium is crucial to prevent contamination by unwanted microorganisms.
3. Agar is commonly used as a solidifying agent in solid culture media.
4. The pH of the culture medium must be carefully controlled to support optimal microbial growth.
5. Nutrient agar and broth are examples of general-purpose media used for growing a wide variety of non-fastidious organisms.

Review Questions

• What are the main types of culture media based on their composition and purpose?
• Why is sterilization important when preparing a culture medium?
• What role does agar play in solid culture media?

Related terms

Agar: A gelatinous substance derived from seaweed, used as a solidifying agent in microbiological culture media.

Selective Media: Culture media designed to suppress the growth of unwanted bacteria and support the growth of desired microbes.

Differential Media: Culture media that allow differentiation between microbial species based on observable changes or reactions.