1. Physical, Chemical And Metabolic Functions Of Different Constituents Of Culture Media

2. What is a Culture Media?
A growth media or a culture media is a liquid or gel designed to support the growth of micro organisms or cell.

3. Constituents Of Culture Media
Amino Acids
Vitamins
Salts
Glucose
Antibiotics

4. Amino Acids Essential amino acids are required by cultured cells.
Example Glutamine which is required by most of the cells as a source of energy.
Thus enhances the metabolic activities of cultured cells

5. Vitamins
Vitamins like PABA, vitamin A,D,E,K etc plays an important role for the proper growth of the cells that are to be cultured.

6. Salts
Sodium ions, potassium ions, magnesium ions, calcium ions and carbonate ions are the major components contributing to the “osmolality” of the medium.
Divalent cations such as calcium ions are required by some cell adhesion molecules such as cadherins.
Sodium and potassium ions regulate membrane potential.

7. Glucose Glucose is included in most media as a “SOURCE OF ENERGY”.
It is metabolized by gycolysis to form pyruvate which further gets converted into acetoacetate and may enter the citric acid cycle and is oxidized to form carbon dioxide and water.

8. Antibiotics
Antibiotics were originally introduced into culture medium to reduce the frequency of contamination.
However, the use of laminar-flow hoods coupled with strict aseptic technique makes antibiotics unnecessary.
Indeed antibiotics encourage the development of antibiotic resistant organisms.