Use of Media

• Maintenance media -(supports growth of many kinds of microorgs)Ex. thioglycollate broth and tetrathionate broth
• Transport media -(maintains growth of microorgs while specimen is in transit from the site of collection to the lab for culture)
• Simple media -(ordinary; not enriched; simple microorgs are cultivated; satisfactory for gen lab purposes)
• Simple media - can be modified into special purpose media
• Nutrient agar - example of simple media
• Selective specific media - contain agents like dyes, antibiotics bile and callurite have been added to inhibit some microorganisms bit allow the growth of particular microorganisms
• Differential media - used in the differentiation and identification of microorganisms
• EMB agar and SSA - examples of differential media
• MacConkey agar - differentiates lactose fermenters (pink colonies) from non-lactose fermenters (colorless to white colonies)
• Enrichment or special media - intended for certain fastidious microorganisms - Lowenstein Jensen for Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Loaffler's medium for Corynebacterium diphtheriae