A microbiologist takes a water sample from a lake and the sample has a variety of bacterial species. However, she only wants to grow one species of bacteria from the sample for her experiment. What form of growth media should she use in her experiment?

• A. The scientist should use an enrichment medium that only supports the growth of the species she is interested in.
• B. The scientist should use a differential medium to differentiate the different species in her sample.
• C. The scientist should use a reducing medium to only grow anaerobic species.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the purpose of the experiment: The microbiologist wants to isolate and grow only one specific species of bacteria from a mixed sample.
2. Identify the types of growth media available: Enrichment media, differential media, and reducing media are common types used in microbiology.
3. Enrichment media: This type of media is designed to favor the growth of a particular microorganism by providing specific nutrients or conditions that support its growth while inhibiting others.
4. Differential media: This media allows the growth of multiple species but includes indicators that help differentiate between them based on certain biochemical characteristics.
5. Reducing media: This media is used to grow anaerobic bacteria by removing oxygen from the environment, which is not relevant if the goal is to isolate a specific species based on other criteria.