MRCP UK EXAMINATIONS

Detailed explanation-1: -The total number of living aerobic bacteria can be determined using a plate count agar (PCA) which is a substrate for bacteria to grow on. The medium contains casein which provides nitrogen, carbon, amino acids, vitamins and minerals to aid in the growth of the organism.

Detailed explanation-2: -Plate Count Agar (PCA) is a microbiological growth medium commonly used to evaluate or monitor the “total” or viable bacterial growth of a sample.

Detailed explanation-3: -Counting of bacterial colonies Plates with over 200 colonies were usually counted by dividing the plates into equal sectors (from 1/2 up to 1/8). After counting one sector, the count was multiplied with the total number of sectors to estimate whole plate CFU count.

Detailed explanation-4: -[2] MacConkey agar contains the essential nutrients required for microorganism growth.

Detailed explanation-5: -Agar media is essential for the study of microorganisms and molecular biology and is widely used in the culture and detection of pathogens from contaminated food and water. In addition, due to its porous 3D framework, agar is frequently used in biomolecular separation and purification.