Lecture 4A - Culture Media, Biosafety, and Aseptic Technique Flashcards
is a nutrient-rich liquid or gel designed to support the growth of a target species or group of species
culture medium
culture medium is a ____ designed to support the growth of a target species or group of species
nutrient-rich liquid or gel
What ingredients do culture media typically contain
- water
- energy source
- nitrogen source
- mineral source
- special growth factors
culture media: water
dissolve mix
culture media: energy source
usually a carbohydrate (glucose/dextrose)
culture media: nitrogen source
- amino acids
- protein sources (peptone)
culture media: mineral salts
- MgSO4
- NaCl
- KH2PO4
simplest amino acid
glycine
Major components of a medium
- Hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen
- inorganic nutrients
- trace elements
hydrogen
donors and acceptors
~1-15 g/L
carbon
source
~1-20 g/L
nitrogen
source
~0.2 - 2 g/L
inorganic nutrients
Sulfur, Phosphorus
~50 mg/L
trace elements
0.1-1 µg/L
Additives of a medium
- growth factors
- solidifying agent
- solvent
- buffers
example of growth factors
- amino acids
- purines
- pyrimidines
(~50 mg/L) - vitamins
(~0.1-1 mg/L)
example of solidifying agent
agar
(8-20 g/L)
percent of added standard agar
1.5-2%
percent of added high quality agar
1.5-1.7%
- ensure that pH is maintained
- very critical
buffers
Three types of culture media based on physical state
- solid medium
- semisolid medium
- liquid (broth) medium
for isolation of colonies which give distinct morphology on the surface of the medium
solid medium
percent of agar used in solid medium
1.5-2.0% or
1.5-2.0 g/100mL of medium
agar is a ___ __ __ prepared from seaweeds
golden-yellow granular powder
agar melts at
80°C
agar gels at
<40°C
- soft custard-like consistency
- prepared with agar at concentrations of 0.8% or less
- useful for the cultivation of microaerophilic bacteria or for the determination of bacterial motility
semisolid medium
semisolid medium is useful for what?
- cultivation of microaerophilic bacteria
- determination of bacterial motility
percent of agar used in semisolid medium
0.8% or less
- contain specific amounts of nutrients but do not contain solidifying agent
- serves various purposes such as propagation of a large number of organisms, fermentation studies, and various other tests
liquid (broth) medium
various purposes of liquid (broth) medium
- propagation of large number of organisms
- fermentation studies
- various other tests
examples of various other tests which uses liquid (broth) medium
- sugar fermentation tests
- MR-VR broth
- organisms which can survive in both oxygenated as well as the deoxygenated environment
- most adaptable organisms that have the capability to switch between aerobic and anaerobic types of respiration
Facultative anaerobe
Two types of culture media based on composition/ingredients
- complex
- defined/synthetic
- with one or more unknown components
- with complex ingredients
complex
example of complex ingredients
- peptone
- extracts
- hydrolysates
example of rich medium
- potato dextrose agar/broth
- nutrient agar/broth
components of nutrient broth
- beef extract (3.0 g)
- peptone (5.0 g)
- distilled water (1000mL)
- proportion and identity of all components are known
- pure chemical substances
- may not be as rich as CM
defined/synthetic
example of defined/synthetic medium
Azotobacter enrichment medium
Types of culture media based on purpose
- general purpose media
- enrichment media
- selective media
- differential media
- transport media
- anaerobic media
- support growth of many in a microbial group
- do not contain any special additives
general purpose media
support growth of most cultivatable bacteria
- nutrient agar (NA)
- tryptic soy agar (TSA)
support growth of most cultivatable fungi
potato dextrose agar (PDA)
percent of microorganisms that have never been cultivated
99%
- provide nutrients and conditions that favor the growth of a particular microbe
- promotoe growth and dominance of a sensitive organism from a mixed culture
enrichment media
enriching medium to target microbial group with particular __ __
metabolic capacity
what makes an enriched medium
addition of extra nutrients to basal medium
what bacteria are grown in enriched media
fastidious bacteria
examples of enrichment media
- blood agar
- chocolate agar
- Loeffler’s serum slope
blood agar
adding 5-10% blood to blood agar base
chocolate agar
- heated blood agar
- lysed blood agar
first used enrichment to study chemolithotrophy
Sergei Winogradsky
- promote growth of organisms with the use of a favorable carbon source
- reduce the growth of other organisms with the use of inhibitory substances
selective media