Cultuurmedium

Cultuurmedium is a substance or preparation used to support the growth of microorganisms, cells, or tissues. These media provide the necessary nutrients, energy sources, and environmental conditions for biological entities to survive and proliferate in a laboratory setting. The composition of a culture medium is highly dependent on the specific organism or cell type being cultured.

There are various types of culture media, broadly categorized as liquid (broth) or solid (agar-based). Liquid media allow for uniform growth and easy manipulation, while solid media facilitate the isolation and quantification of individual colonies. Media can be classified based on their purpose, such as general-purpose media for a wide range of organisms, selective media that inhibit the growth of unwanted organisms while allowing the desired ones to grow, or differential media that allow for the visual distinction of different microorganisms based on their metabolic properties.

The preparation of culture media typically involves dissolving specific components, such as carbohydrates, amino acids, salts, vitamins, and growth factors, in water. For solid media, a gelling agent like agar is added. Sterilization is a crucial step to eliminate any pre-existing contaminants. Once prepared and sterilized, the medium is often dispensed into containers like petri dishes or flasks. Cultuurmedia are fundamental tools in microbiology, cell biology, molecular biology, and biotechnology for research, diagnostics, and industrial applications.