Pure culture

Definition

A pure culture is a laboratory culture containing a single species of organism. It is used to study the characteristics and behaviors of that specific microorganism in isolation.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. A pure culture is essential for genomic sequencing as it ensures that the genetic material being analyzed comes from a single species.
2. Pure cultures are typically obtained through techniques such as streak plating or pour plating.
3. In biotechnology, pure cultures are crucial for producing consistent and reliable results in experiments involving microorganisms.
4. Contamination can compromise a pure culture, leading to inaccurate data and potential experimental failures.
5. Maintaining aseptic conditions is critical when working with pure cultures to prevent cross-contamination.

Review Questions

• What techniques are commonly used to obtain a pure culture?
• Why is it important to maintain aseptic conditions when working with pure cultures?
• How does contamination affect the reliability of data obtained from a pure culture?

Related terms

Aseptic Technique: A set of practices used to prevent contamination by unwanted microorganisms.

Streak Plating: A method used to isolate a pure strain from a single species of microorganism.

Genomic Sequencing: The process of determining the complete DNA sequence of an organism's genome at a single time.