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what is semi solid media in microbiology

by Jamel Emard Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago

Semi solid media are microbial culture media that are prepared to add less amount of agar (solidifying agent at 0.2 to 0.5 %) to observe motility of bacteria. Semi solid medium was first introduced by Hiss in 1982 for the purpose of distinguishing typhoid and colon bacilli. The results of the semi solid media are macroscopic.

Semi Solid Media are a type of culture media that contain agar at 0.5 % concentration. Solid Media are useful for isolating and enumerating bacteria or for determining the colony characteristics. Semi Solid Media are used for the determination of bacterial motility.Jan 25, 2018

Full Answer

What is semi-solid media?

Semi Solid Media are a type of culture media that contain agar at 0.5 % concentration. Use: Solid Media are useful for isolating and enumerating bacteria or for determining the colony characteristics. Semi Solid Media are used for the determination of bacterial motility. Consistency: Solid Media are firm and have a solidified surface due to agar.

What is solid media in microbiology?

Answer Wiki. Solid media contains agar- a white jelly like substance extracted from sea algae chemically constitute of polysaccharide agarose, act as solid surface for microbial growth. It’s generally supplied as powder form alone or in some cases mixed with bacterial medium to provide solid surface for bacterial growth.

Why use semi solid media for motile bacteria?

When motile bacteria are inoculated to stab cultures that were prepared using Semi Solid Media, a diffuse zone of growth along the inoculation line of the stab can be clearly observed. It eliminates the overlooking of motility if only a few are motile. What are the Similarities Between Solid Media and Semi Solid Media?

What is selective media in microbiology?

SELECTIVE MEDIA: These media favour the growth of a particular bacterium by inhibiting the growth of undesired bacteria and allowing growth of desirable bacteria. Examples of selective media are MacConkey agar, Lowenstein-Jensen media, tellurite media. And Tellurite inhibits the growth of most of the throat organisms except diphtheria bacilli.

What are examples of semi solid media?

Examples of semi-solid media are: Hugh and Leifson's oxidation fermentation medium, Stuart's and Amies media, and Mannitol motility media. Liquid media: These media do not contain any traces of solidifying agents, such as agar or gelatin, and large growth of bacterial colonies can be observed in the media.

What is solid media in microbiology?

Solid media is used for the isolation of bacteria as pure culture. 'Agar' is most commonly used to prepare solid media. Agar is polysaccharide extract obtained from seaweed. Agar is an ideal solidifying agent as it is : (a) Bacteriologically inert, i.e. no influence on bacterial growth, 2.

What is semi solid medium used for?

It is generally used for maintenance purpose or to check the purity of subcultures (1). Bacterial motility is an important determinant in making a final species identification. Tubes containing semisolid media are most often used to determine motility.

How semi solid media is prepared?

Semisolid Nutrient Agar is recommended for detection of Salmonella species on the basis of motility and hydrogen sulphide (H2S) production. Suspend 12 grams in 1000 ml distilled water. Heat to boiling to dissolve the medium completely. Dispense in tubes.

What is the purpose of the different types of media solid semi solid broth )?

Solid Media vs Semi Solid Media Semi Solid Media are a type of culture media that contain agar at 0.5 % concentration. Solid Media are useful for isolating and enumerating bacteria or for determining the colony characteristics. Semi Solid Media are used for the determination of bacterial motility.

What is a solid culture media?

Solid culture media contain agar at a concentration of 1.5-2.0% or some other mostly inert solidifying agent. Solid medium has a physical structure and allows bacteria to grow in physically informative or useful ways (e.g. as colonies or in streaks).

Is MacConkey agar a solid semisolid or liquid media?

Other examples of solid media include blood agar, chocolate agar, MacConkey agar, etc. Composition and uses of some common solid media are summarized in Table 4-2. Addition of reduced concentration of agar (0.2–0.4%) makes the medium semisolid, which facilitates spread of the bacteria in the medium.

What are the three main types of microbiological culture media?

Liquid, semisolid and solid media are routinely used for growth of micro-organisms.

What is synthetic media in microbiology?

Synthetic culture medium / defined A synthetic medium is entirely free of animal-derived components (including microbial-derived components such as yeast extract). These media are very useful for studying the physiology, metabolic nature and nutritional requirements of bacteria.

What is a semi-solid?

Definition of semisolid : having the qualities of both a solid and a liquid : highly viscous. Other Words from semisolid Example Sentences Learn More About semisolid.

What is the difference between liquid media and solid media?

The key difference between solid and liquid media is that solid media contain agar while liquid media do not contain agar. That is, agar is a solidification agent in growth media, and solid media contain a solidifying agent while liquid media lack a solidifying agent.

What is semi solid media?

Semi-solid media are having less concentrations of agar (0.5% or less), they are useful in demonstrating bacterial motility and separating motile from non-motile strains. Eg: Mannitol motility agar. 3. Liquid media. Liquid media contains all the nutrients but no solidifying agent.

What media favours the growth of a particular bacterium?

For example, blood agar and Lowenstein-Jensen and Streptococci grow in blood agar media. 3. SELECTIVE MEDIA : These media favour the growth of a particular bacterium by inhibiting the growth of undesired bacteria and allowing growth of desirable bacteria.

What is the best agar for E. coli?

Eosin methylene blue agar and MacConkey agar are useful for the detection of E. coli and related bacteria in water supplies and elsewhere. These media suppress the growth of Gram-positive bacteria. Supportive media such as tryptic soy broth and tryptic soy agar helps in the growth of many microorganisms.

What are some examples of laboratory media?

BASAL MEDIA: These media are useful for the growth (culture) of bacteria that do not requires enrichment of the media. Examples: Nutrient broth, nutrient agar and peptone water. For example, Staphylococcus and Enterobacteriaceae grow in these media. 2.

What is complex media?

Complex media are also used to culture fastidious microbes, microbes with complicated nutritional or cultural requirements. Most complex media contain undefined components such as peptones, meat extract, and yeast extract. Yeast extract is an excellent source of B vitamins as well as nitrogen and carbon compounds.

What is differential media?

Differential media are media that distinguish among different groups of microbes and even permit tentative identification Selective media allow the growth of particular microorganisms, while inhibiting the growth of others.

Why are complex media important?

In addition, complex media often are essential because the nutritional requirements of a particular microorganism are unknown, and thus a defined medium cannot be constructed.

How is agar media selective?

Any agar media can be made selective by the addition of certain inhibitory agents that don’t affect the pathogen of interest. Various approaches to making a medium selective include addition of antibiotics, dyes, chemicals, alteration of pH, or a combination of these.

What is selective media?

These media are designed to inhibit unwanted commensal or contaminating bacteria and help to recover pathogens from a mixture of bacteria. While selective media are agar-based, enrichment media are liquid in consistency. Both these media serve the same purpose. Any agar media can be made selective by the addition of certain inhibitory agents that don’t affect the pathogen of interest. Various approaches to making a medium selective include addition of antibiotics, dyes, chemicals, alteration of pH, or a combination of these.

What media is used to isolate Vibrio cholerae?

Selective media such as TCBS Agar used for isolating Vibrio cholerae from fecal specimens have elevated pH (8.5-8.6), which inhibits most other bacteria. Lactose fermenting (pink) and non-lactose-fermenting (colorless/pale) colonies in MacConkey Agar.

What is basal media?

General-Purpose Media. Basal media also called general-purpose media are basically simple media that support the growth of most non-fastidious bacteria. Peptone water, nutrient broth, and nutrient agar (NA) are considered basal mediums. These media are generally used for the primary isolation of microorganisms.

What is the concentration of solid medium?

Solid medium contains agar at a concentration of 1.5-2.0% or some other, mostly inert solidifying agent. Solid medium has a physical structure and allows bacteria to grow in physically informative or useful ways (e.g. as colonies or in streaks).

What is an enriched medium?

Addition of extra nutrients in the form of blood, serum, egg yolk, etc, to the basal medium makes an enriched medium. Enriched media are used to grow nutritionally exacting (fastidious) bacteria. Blood agar, chocolate agar, Loeffler’s serum slope, etc are a few examples of enriched media. Blood agar is prepared by adding 5-10% (by volume) blood to a blood agar base. Chocolate agar is also known as heated blood agar or lysed blood agar.

What is liquid broth?

Liquid (Broth) medium. These media contain specific amounts of nutrients but don’t have a trace of gelling agents such as gelatin or agar. Broth medium serves various purposes such as propagation of a large number of organisms, fermentation studies, and various other tests. e.g. sugar fermentation tests, MR-VP broth.

What is solid medium?

Solid medium has physical structure and allows bacteria to grow in physically informative or useful ways (e.g. as colonies or in streaks).  Solid medium is useful for isolating bacteria or for determining the colony characteristics of the isolate.

How can agar be selective?

Both these media serve the same purpose. Any agar media can be made selective by addition of certain inhibitory agents that don’t affect the pathogen of interest. Various approaches to make a medium selective include addition of antibiotics, dyes, chemicals, alteration of pH or a combination of these.

What is differential media?

Various approaches include incorporation of dyes, metabolic substrates etc, so that those bacteria that utilise them appear as differently coloured colonies. Such media are called differential media or indicator media.

What is liquid broth?

Liquid (Broth) medium: –
. These media contain specific amounts of nutrients but don’t have trace of gelling agents such as gelatine or agar. Broth medium serves various purposes such as propagation of large number of organisms, fermentation studies, and various other tests. e.g. sugar fermentation tests, MR-VR broth.

What is the purpose of boiling a medium?

Boiling the medium serves to expel any dissolved oxygen. Addition of 1% glucose, 0.1% thioglycollate, 0.1% ascorbic acid, 0.05% cysteine or red hot iron filings can render a medium reduced. Before use the medium must be boiled in water bath to expel any dissolved oxygen and then sealed with sterile liquid paraffin.

What organisms cannot grow in artificial culture medium?

Organisms that cannot grow in artificial culture medium are known as obligate parasites. Mycobacteriumleprae, rickettsias, Chlamydias, and Treponemapallidumareobligate parasites.  Bacterial culture media can be distinguished based on composition, consistency, and purpose.

What is enriched media?

These media are generally used for the primary isolation of microorganisms. Enriched medium (Added growth factors): –Addition of extra nutrients in the form of blood, serum, egg yolk etc, to basal medium makes them enriched media. Enriched media are used to grow nutritionally exacting (fastidious) bacteria.

What is the difference between solid and liquid media?

The key difference between solid and liquid media is that solid media contain agar while liquid media do not contain agar . That is, agar is a solidification agent in growth media, and solid media contain a solidifying agent while liquid media lack a solidifying agent. Further to this, related to usage, the difference between solid ...

What is a microorganism culture medium?

A growth medium or a culture medium is defined as the solid or liquid formulation which contains ...

Why use agar plates?

These agar plates with microorganisms can be used to study their characteristics. Microbes which are supposed to be used for staining techniques are grown in solid media on plates.

What is growth medium?

A growth medium or a culture medium is defined as the solid or liquid formulation which contains the nutrients and other necessary materials to support the growth of microorganisms and cells. Growth media can be either solid or liquid preparations.

Where are bacteria found in the broth tube?

Bacteria that can live in presence as well as in the absence of oxygen are known as facultative anaerobes, and they are found mostly at the top of the tube. Microaerophilic bacteria are found in the upper part of the broth tube, but not at the top.

What is culture media?

Culture media contain necessary nutrients the other ingredients required for microorganisms. Various types of culture media are available. Most culture media are prepared as solid formulations by adding a solidification agent (agar) generally at the concentration of 1.5%.

Is agar a solid medium?

The commercial agar is derived mainly from Gelidium red algae. Solid medium is a mixture of agar and other nutrients. When agar is added, the medium becomes solid at room temperature.

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How to Prepare Culture Media?

  1. Weigh the amount of ingredients powder on weighing machine.
  2. Dissolve the ingredients in distilled water.
  3. Adjust PH of the medium if needed.
  4. Add agar and boiled it to dissolve.
  1. Weigh the amount of ingredients powder on weighing machine.
  2. Dissolve the ingredients in distilled water.
  3. Adjust PH of the medium if needed.
  4. Add agar and boiled it to dissolve.

Types of Culture Media Based on Chemical Composition/Application

  • There are seven routine laboratory media. 1. Basal media 2. Enriched media 3. Selective media 4. Enrichment media 5. Indicator media or differential media 6. Transport media 7. Storage media
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Types of Special Purpose Culture Media

  • 1. Assay media
    The media assay vitamins, amino acids, and antibiotics. Example- Antibiotic sensitivity test the media used is Muller-Hinton agar has 1.7% agar for better diffusion of antibiotics. It also contains starch, which absorbs toxins released by bacteria. In this media plate Zone of inhibition is seen …
  • 2. Minimal media
    Principal of minimal media Minimal media is a defined medium with different compositions depending on microorganisms cultured. It contains a carbon source like sugar/succinate and inorganic salts like magnesium, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus. Carbon is a source of energy; mag…
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Application of Culture Media

  1. To culture microbes.
  2. To identify the cause of infection.
  3. To identify characteristics of microorganisms.
  4. To isolate pure culture.
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Limitations of Culture Media

  1. Risk of cross-contamination.
  2. High skill required for optimal results.
  3. Increased drying out of media can occur.
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List of Culture Media Used in Microbiology with Their Uses

  • A7 and A8 agars A7 and A8 agars are selective and differential media used for the cultivation, identification, and differentiation of Ureaplasma spp. and Mycoplasma hominis. Alkaline peptone water Alkaline peptone water is an enrichment broth used for the isolation of small numbers of Vibrio and Aeromonas organisms from stool specimens. American Trudeau Society medium A…
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References

  1. https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Microbiology/Book%3A_Microbiology_(Boundless)/6%…
  2. https://www.coursehero.com/file/p37dttt/Defined-vs-Undefined-Media-The-distinction-between-a-defined-medium-and-an/
  3. https://www.biologydiscussion.com/microorganisms/culture-microorganisms/culture-of-microorganisms-5-steps/31361
  1. https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Microbiology/Book%3A_Microbiology_(Boundless)/6%…
  2. https://www.coursehero.com/file/p37dttt/Defined-vs-Undefined-Media-The-distinction-between-a-defined-medium-and-an/
  3. https://www.biologydiscussion.com/microorganisms/culture-microorganisms/culture-of-microorganisms-5-steps/31361
  4. https://nios.ac.in/media/documents/dmlt/Microbiology/Lesson-09.pdf

Chemical Types of Culture Media

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Defined media has all chemical constituents known. It can be in both liquid form (broth) or solid form. The solid media is having a solidifying agent such as agar.
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Physical Types of Culture Media

  • Liquid and solidified media are useful in laboratories. However, solidified media are particularly important because they can be benefical to isolate different microbes from each other to establish pure cultures. Agar is the most commonly used solidifying agent. It is a sulfated polymer mainly consists of D-galactose, 3,6-anhydro-L-galactose, and D...
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Types of Culture Media Based on Their Chemical Composition

  • 1. Routine Laboratory Media 2. Synthetic Media. These are chemically defined media prepared from pure chemical substances. It is very useful in research work.
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on The Basis of Consistency

  • Solid Medium
    Solid culture media contain agar at a concentration of 1.5-2.0% or some other mostly inert solidifying agent. Solid medium has a physical structure and allows bacteria to grow in physically informative or useful ways (e.g. as coloniesor in streaks). MacConkey agar, chocolate agar, nutri…
  • Semisolid Medium
    Semisolid culture media are prepared with agar at concentrations of 0.5% or less. Semisolid medium has a soft custard-like consistency and is useful for the cultivation ofmicroaerophilic bacteria or for the determination of bacterial motility.Motility test medium, Stuart’s and Amies tr…
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on The Basis of Functional Use

  • Many special-purpose media are needed to facilitate the recognition, enumeration, and isolation of certain types of bacteria. To meet these needs, numerous media are available.
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39 Responses to “Bacterial Culture Media: Classification, Types, Uses”

  1. Dr. Hassan Sarwar says: April 12, 2019 at 11:53 pm Hello, Its Hassan Sarwar a veterinarian from Pakistan your blog is very helpful keep it up. It contains all the information needed so spread knowl...
  2. faisal allafi says: May 2, 2019 at 1:53 pm its good information i have question actually iam doing bio lap for detection and identification of bacterai attached with hair could you pls tell …
  1. Dr. Hassan Sarwar says: April 12, 2019 at 11:53 pm Hello, Its Hassan Sarwar a veterinarian from Pakistan your blog is very helpful keep it up. It contains all the information needed so spread knowl...
  2. faisal allafi says: May 2, 2019 at 1:53 pm its good information i have question actually iam doing bio lap for detection and identification of bacterai attached with hair could you pls tell me the...
  3. Prachi says: June 12, 2019 at 2:42 pm Hi Tankeshwar, can you write about Lyophilised Culture and its types?Loading... Reply
  4. Rajanna says: September 17, 2019 at 9:21 am Can we grow microorganisms using hairdyes as culture mediaLoading... Reply

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