summary of culture media

• Types of culture media

  • Chemically Defined
  • Complex
  • Reducing
  • Selective
  • Differential
  • Enrichment
• Chemically Defined media


  Growth of chemoautotrophs and photoautotrophs; microbiological assays
• Complex media


  Growth of most chemoheterotrophic organisms
• Reducing media


  Growth of obligate anaerobes
• Selective media


  Suppression of unwanted microbes; encouraging desired microbes
• Differential media


  Differentiation of colonies of desired microbes from others
• Enrichment media


  Similar to selective media but designed to increase numbers of desired microbes to detectable levels