In Vitro Cultivation of Bacteria

BACTERIOLOGICAL MEDIA is the substrate on which bacterial culture is done and

it provides nutrition and pH to the organism

Liquid and Solid Bacteriological Media

Both are extensively used in bacteriological laboratories. To obtain a pure growth
one has to use solid medium because of the following disadvantages with the liquid
media:

1. Growth does not show character on the basis of which a tentative diagnosis can be
established.

2. If it is a mixed culture of more than one organisms, their separation cannot be

performed.
However, once a pure growth has been obtained on solid media, liquid media are
used to perform further tests because of the homogenous growth in these media.

Types of Culture Media

Some bacteria can grow with minimum and ordinary available growth conditions
whereas many others are very specific in their demands. These can be in liquid or
solid state; with or without oxygen. Some media have simple composition whereas
others may be either synthetic or complex in composition. Media can be divided into
two broad groups:

1. Defined Synthetic Media

These are prepared from chemicals and their exact composition is known. These
are used for research purposes and are of two types: Simple synthetic media
contain a carbon and energy source, an organic source of nitrogen and various
inorganic salts in buffered aqueous solution. The complex synthetic media
possess, in addition to components of simple media, amino acids, purines,
pyramidines and many other growth factors depending upon the nature and
growth requirements of the organism.
2. Routine Laboratory Media
These media attempt to provide nutrition and pH to the organisms which are akin
to that of tissues and body fluids. Many of these nutrients are supplied by
aqueous extracts of meat and peptone. There are various types of these media.

Name Purpose Examples

Basal media Simple liquid media Nutrient broth, peptone

Base for other media water

Enriched media Support the growth of Blood agar, chocolate

nutritionally demanding agar Loeffler's serum
bacteria slope

Selective media Suppress growth of MacConkey agar

unwanted bacteria and Bismuth sulphite agar
encourage desired ones

Enrichment media Liquid media and Tetrathionate broth,

increase Selenite F
number of desired Alkaline peptone water
microbes
to detectable levels
Selective + Indicator Both functions in same MacConkey agar
Transport media medium Sustain
microbes during
transportation

Indicator media Distinguish colonies of MacConkey agar

one type from another Stuart's medium
Cary Blair medium

Storage media Preserve bacteria Nutrient agar, Dorset

egg media