6. Agar is especially useful for the cultivation of bacteria. One reason is that

Question

6. Agar is especially useful for the cultivation of bacteria. One reason is that most bacteria are not able to utilize agar as a carbon source. Explain why this is so important when studying metabolic capabilities of bacteria, or attempting to perform an enrichment culture of a particular type of bacteria

7. Agar is also very useful in cultivating bacteria because of its melting and solidifying properties. Why is this? At what temperature does agar melt, and at what temperature does it solidify when cooling?

8. Why do you think you used a 500 ml Erlenmeyer flask to make 250 ml NA, and a 250 ml Erlenmeyer flask to make 100 ml GSA? I.e., why use a flask that is about twice the volume you are making? Hint: consider what happens to the media as it is autoclaved at 121°C.

Explanation / Answer

7. Agar is a gel at room temperature. Agar melts at approximately 85°C, whereas it solidifies, 32-40°C.

8. When the media is autoclaved, the media boils out. If a flask of equal quantity is used. There are chances that the media spills out of the flask. Hence, flask which is double the quantity of agar is used.

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