Differential & Selective Bacterial Growth Media
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Virtual Microbiology Classroom of Science Prof Online

ANAT & PHYSGENERAL BIOCELL BIOMICRO 8wkMICRO 15wkINSTRUCTORS

Bacterial Growth Media Lecture Materials

These are the Differential & Selective Bacterial Growth Media Lecture materials of the Virtual Microbiology Classroom. The resources below are used to supplement an actual 16-week college cell biology course. 

MacConkey's Agar, Blood Agar & Mannitol Salt  Agar(clockwise from top)

Page last updated 2/2016
Instructor's Corner
SPO VIRTUAL CLASSROOMS
SPECIALIZED MEDIA LABORATORY IMAGES
The images linked here directly relate to the lab exercise and are designed to help students review and study that lab material while outside of lab.

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You have free access to a large collection of materials used in a college-level introductory microbiology course. The Virtual Microbiology Classroom provides a wide range of free educational resources including PowerPoint Lectures, Study Guides, Review Questions and Practice Test Questions.
Prokaryotic Cell, Mariana Ruiz
​How to Interpret MacConkey's Agar (MAC) Specialized 
Bacterial Growth Medium
​How to Interpret Mannitol Salt Agar (MSA) Specialized 
Bacterial Growth Medium
​How to Interpret Blood Agar (BAP) Specialized Bacterial Growth Medium
MacConkey's Agar 
Quiz & Review:  
Do you know MAC from shinola?
The Specialized Bacterial Growth Media Lecture materials include:
  • a list of learning objectives
  • a PowerPoint lecture  
  • a homework assignment
  • additional required readings 
  • practice test & review questions


LEARNING OBJECTIVES
These lecture learning objectives are a study guide based on the VMC Differential & Selective Bacterial Growth Media Lecture PowerPoint Show:

  • ​What does it mean for a bacterial growth medium to be selective? Differential? 
  • Understand the selective and differential aspects of derstand MacConkey's agar (MAC). What information does MAC provide about bacteria growing on this medium?
  • Understand the selective and differential aspects of Mannitol Salt agar (MSA). What information does MSA provide about bacteria growing on this medium?
  • What type of clinical samples are plated on Blood agar (BAP)? What species are we looking for from a sample plated on BAP?


LECTURE POWERPOINT
Versions of Specialized Bacterial Growth Media PPT: 

Printing: The best way for students to print out the PowerPoint Show is to download the PDF version. Select Print, and, when the Print screen comes up, go to the Print Handling options. Under Page Scaling, select "Multiple pages per sheet". Under Pages Per Sheet, select "2". That uses up less paper, placing two slides on each page.


MacConkey's Agar: Plate on left it growing Gram-nagative lactose negarive bacterial. Plate on right is growing Gram-negative, lactose positive bacteria.
MacConkey's Agar (MAC): Plate on left it growing Gram-negative lactose negative bacterial. Plate on right is growing Gram-negative, lactose positive bacteria. 
Click here for more MAC images.
Two plates of Mannitol Salt agar. On left, plate is growtin Staphylococcus aureus, a pathogenic mannitol fermenter. On right, plate is growting non-mannitol fermenter S. epidermidisClick here for more images of Mannitol Salt Agar. 
Two plates of Mannitol Salt agar. On left, plate is growtin Staphylococcus aureus, a pathogenic mannitol fermenter. On right, plate is growting non-mannitol fermenter S. epidermidis
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS


REQUIRED READINGS
Here is what you need to read, in addition to the PowerPoint, to master this topic. Check Moodle & your textbook for additional readings.



​PRACTICE TEST & REVIEW QUESTIONS
These multiple-choice / matching practice test questions and essay review questions designed to help you better understand the material from this lecture.



VIDEOS OF BLOOD AGAR, MANNITOL SALT AGAR & MACCONKEY'S AGAR

MICROBIOLOGY HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS

1. Fresh Air audio interview of Dr. Martin Blaser; Missing Microbes Homework Assignment

2. "Rodney vs Death" Radiolab episode; Homework Assignment

3. "Shrink" Radiolab episode; HW Assignment

4. "Patient Zero" Radiolab episode; HW Assignment

5. "Parasites" Radiolab episode, HW Assignment

6. Bacteria Classification Spreadsheet

7. Differential Media & Stains Study Table 

8. "Contagion" Movie Assignment

​9. "CRISPR" Radiolab episode, HW Assignment