does e coli grow on macconkey agar ?
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does e coli grow on macconkey agar
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Bacteriology
1 year
2022-11-12T10:36:09+00:00
2022-11-12T10:36:09+00:00 1 Answer
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Yes, Escherichia coli (E. coli) can grow on MacConkey agar. MacConkey agar is a selective and differential medium used in microbiology to isolate and differentiate bacteria, particularly Gram-negative enteric bacteria such as E. coli. The medium contains crystal violet and bile salts, which inhibit the growth of Gram-positive bacteria and most Gram-negative bacteria other than enteric bacteria. Additionally, MacConkey agar contains lactose and a pH indicator (neutral red), allowing for the differentiation of lactose-fermenting and non-lactose-fermenting bacteria. E. coli, being a lactose-fermenting bacterium, produces pink colonies on MacConkey agar due to its ability to ferment lactose and lower the pH of the medium, causing the indicator to turn pink.