Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Dry weight of a culture sample is the mass of microbial cells after removing all water content. It provides an accurate measure of cell biomass in a culture.
5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test
Dry weight measurement is a direct method to quantify microbial growth.
The process involves filtering, drying, and weighing the culture sample.
It eliminates variability caused by differences in water content between samples.
This method is particularly useful for filamentous microorganisms and biofilms.
Accuracy can be influenced by residual salts and medium components remaining after drying.
Review Questions
Related terms
Optical Density (OD): A measure of how much a microbial culture absorbs light, used to estimate cell concentration.
Colony Forming Units (CFU): A count of viable bacteria or fungal cells that form colonies on solid media.
Biomass: The total mass of living microorganisms present in a given volume or area.