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Culture Media

Culture media or growth media is a liquid or gel support media provided with essential nutrients and growth parameters required for the growth of microorganisms.

  • Culture media are of different types depending on the nutrients they have and the type of microorganisms that grow on them.
  • Growth media are primarily of two types; one for cell culture where specific cell types are grown of specific plants and animals, and another for microbiological culture to support the growth of microorganisms on artificial surfaces.
  • For microbial culture, the most common culture media are agar plates or broth medium. Agar plates are made up of a growth medium containing agar that results in the formation of a gel-like support medium for growth.
  • The broth medium, in turn, is made without any agar, which gives it the consistency of a liquid support medium.
  • Both the agar plates and broth media can be either general media or selective media.
  • General media support the growth of multiple organisms, while selective media allow the selective growth of fastidious organisms that require specific nutrient and environmental requirements.
  • For microorganisms like viruses or parasites, a growth medium containing living cells are required.
  • All culture media have a list of common ingredients like a source of carbon, a source of protein or nitrogen, some salts, and water. 
  • In the case of culture media used for a specific purpose; however, additional ingredients like organic compounds or pH indicators might also be present.
  • The most common general culture media for the isolation of bacteria is the Nutrient Agar that supports the growth of a diverse group of bacteria.
  • Culture media are an important part of routine laboratory research as it allows the artificial culture of microorganisms under laboratory conditions and also helps in isolation and differentiation of different microorganisms.
  • The growth pattern and colony morphology of certain bacteria on certain growth media provide a basis for the identification of the bacteria.
  • Traditionally, this technique was one of the most important methods of identification of microorganisms. It is still employed in many laboratories throughout the world for diagnostic and educational purposes.

Microbial Culture Media- Definition, Types, Examples, Uses

January 18, 2023January 21, 2022 by Aiman Fatima
Types of culture media

What is Culture Media? The media is a source of nutrients to support the growth of the micro-organisms in-vitro. The media helps in the growth and counting of microbial cells, selection … Read more

XLD Agar- Composition, Principle, Preparation, Results, Uses

January 8, 2022January 7, 2022 by Sagar Aryal
Salmonella Typhimurium on XLD agar.

What is XLD Agar? Xylose Lysine Deoxycholate (XLD) agar is a selective growth medium used for the isolation of Salmonella and Shigella species from clinical samples and from food. XLD Agar was developed by Taylor for … Read more

Tryptic Soy Agar- Composition, Principle, Preparation, Results, Uses

May 4, 2022January 7, 2022 by Sagar Aryal
Tryptic Soy Agar

Tryptic Soy Agar is used as a general growth medium for the isolation and cultivation of microorganisms. They are general-purpose, non-selective media providing enough nutrients to allow for a wide … Read more

Thioglycollate Broth- Composition, Principle, Preparation, Results, Uses

January 8, 2022January 7, 2022 by Sagar Aryal
Thioglycollate Broth

Thioglycolate broth is a multipurpose, enriched, differential medium used primarily to determine the oxygen requirements of microorganisms. It acts as an enrichment broth which is most frequently used in diagnostic bacteriology. This broth … Read more

Baird Parker Agar- Composition, Principle, Preparation, Results, Uses

May 2, 2022January 7, 2022 by Sagar Aryal
Baird Parker Agar

Baird Parker Agar was developed by Baird Parker from the Tellurite-glycine formulation of Zebovitz et al for isolation and enumeration of Staphylococci in food and other material since it allows … Read more

Brucella Agar- Composition, Principle, Preparation, Results, Uses

January 8, 2022January 6, 2022 by Sagar Aryal
Brucella Agar

Brucella is an intracellular parasite that causes epizootic abortions in animals and septicemic febrile illness or localized infections of the bone, tissue, or organ systems in humans. Brucella species are … Read more

Ashdown’s Agar- Composition, Principle, Preparation, Results, Uses

January 8, 2022January 6, 2022 by Sagar Aryal
Ashdown's Agar

Ashdown’s medium is a selective culture medium for the isolation and characterization of Burkholderia pseudomallei (the bacterium that causes melioidosis). Ashdown’s medium was first described by LR Ashdown in 1979. Composition of Ashdown’s Agar Ingredients … Read more

MacConkey Agar- Composition, Principle, Preparation, Results, Uses

January 13, 2023January 6, 2022 by Sagar Aryal
Result Interpretation on MacConkey Agar

MacConkey agar was the first solid differential media to be formulated which was developed in the 20th century by Alfred Theodore MacConkey. MacConkey Agar is the earliest selective and differential medium for the … Read more

Bird Seed Agar- Composition, Principle, Preparation, Results, Uses, Limitations

January 8, 2022January 6, 2022 by Sagar Aryal
Result Interpretation of Bird Seed Agar

Bird Seed Agar is a solid medium used for selective and differential isolation of Cryptococcus neoformans from clinical specimens. It is used for the selective isolation of Cryptococcus neoformans and C. gattii. C. neoformans usually grows … Read more

Salmonella Shigella (SS) Agar- Composition, Principle, Preparation, Results, Uses

January 8, 2022January 6, 2022 by Sagar Aryal
Result Interpretation of SS Agar

Salmonella Shigella (SS) Agar is a moderately selective and differential medium for the isolation, cultivation, and differentiation of Salmonella spp. and some strains of Shigella spp. SS Agar is a modification of the Deoxycholate Citrate … Read more

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