Which of the following best describes the various laboratory media used to cultivate bacteria?

• A. Culture media are exclusively composed of animal tissues and cannot be synthetic.
• B. Culture media are specialized nutrient mixtures designed to support the growth and identification of microorganisms in the laboratory.
• C. Culture media are only used for the storage of bacterial samples and not for their growth.
• D. Culture media are chemical agents used to sterilize laboratory equipment before bacterial inoculation.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the purpose of culture media in microbiology. Culture media are designed to provide the necessary nutrients and environmental conditions to support the growth of microorganisms in the laboratory.
2. Step 2: Recognize that culture media can be composed of various ingredients, including natural sources like animal tissues, plant extracts, or synthetic chemicals, making them versatile and not limited to animal tissues alone.
3. Step 3: Differentiate between the uses of culture media and other laboratory materials. Culture media are primarily used for growing and identifying bacteria, not just for storage or sterilization purposes.
4. Step 4: Recall that sterilization is a separate process involving chemical or physical agents to eliminate contaminants on equipment, which is distinct from the function of culture media.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the best description of culture media is that they are specialized nutrient mixtures designed to support the growth and identification of microorganisms in the laboratory.