Straighterline Microbiology Lab BIO250L Lab 4 Selective Media & Agar Worksheet 2023

Student Name: Access Code (located on the underside of the lid of your lab kit): Pre-Lab Questions 1. What is the difference between chemically defined and chemically complex media? Give either a clinical or environmental research example for which each media type would be the most appropriate choice for culturing microorganisms. Chemically defined media is media where the exact chemical compositions are known and made with purified ingredients. This type of media is mostly used in medical labs and research. This media can be used in a lab to grow specific microorganisms by providing them with media that contain only their essential nutrients. This can run the risk of leaving out elements that are often found in media when the ingredients are in their more natural or complex form due to the media being in its purest form. An exampleof using this type of media would be in vitro cell culturing of human and animal cells