4.2 Agar Plates Flashcards
What are the two forms that growth media comes in?
solid
liquid
What is a general description of solid growth media?
liquid growth media that has had a hardening agent added
Where are solid growth media typically contained in?
sterile petri dish
What is agar?
solid growth media that has an added polysaccharide derived from seaweed (algae) extracts
What are colonies?
microbes that have grown and appear as individual isolated dots
What is a lawn?
when the microbe has grown to cover the entire plate
What is LB agar?
multi-purpose media capable of growing a wide variety of microorganisms
What color are LB agar plates?
pale yellow
What type of media is LB agar?
non-differential and non-selective
What is LB agar commonly used to grow?
E. coli
What is TSA or TSAYE?
trypticase soy agar
What is the function of TSA/TSAYE?
multi-purpose media that can grow a wide variety of microorganisms
What color are TSA/TSAYE plates?
pale yellow
What type of media are TSA/TSAYE plates?
non-selective and non-differential
What are BAP plates?
blood agar plates
What is the composition of BAP plates?
derivative of TSA plates where mammalian blood is added to the plate at 5-10% concentration
What type of mammalian blood is typically used for BAP plates?
sheep
What color are BAP plates?
red
What type of media are BAP plates?
enriched, non-selective, differential media
What is the purpose of the red blood cells in BAP plates?
promote the growth of fastidious microorganisms
