Thioglycollate broth
Encyclopedia
Fluid thioglycolate media or thioglycolate broth is a multi-purpose enriched differentiating media used primarily to differentiate oxygen requirement levels of various organisms. Oxygen levels throughout the media are reduced via reaction with sodium thioglycolate. This produces a range of oxygen levels in the media that decreases with increasing distance from the surface. This allows differentiation of aerobic
, anaerobic
, microaerophilic, and facultatively anaerobic organisms based upon growth at various levels in the media.
As an example, anaerobic Clostridium
will be seen growing only in lower portions of the media. O2 is often indicated in the media by a pink color change.
Thioglycolate broth is also used to recruit macrophage
s to the peritoneal cavity
of mice when injected intraperitoneally. It recruits numerous macrophages, but does not activate them.
Aerobic organism
An aerobic organism or aerobe is an organism that can survive and grow in an oxygenated environment.Faculitative anaerobes grow and survive in an oxygenated environment and so do aerotolerant anaerobes.-Glucose:...
, anaerobic
Anaerobic organism
An anaerobic organism or anaerobe is any organism that does not require oxygen for growth. It could possibly react negatively and may even die if oxygen is present...
, microaerophilic, and facultatively anaerobic organisms based upon growth at various levels in the media.
As an example, anaerobic Clostridium
Clostridium
Clostridium is a genus of Gram-positive bacteria, belonging to the Firmicutes. They are obligate anaerobes capable of producing endospores. Individual cells are rod-shaped, which gives them their name, from the Greek kloster or spindle...
will be seen growing only in lower portions of the media. O2 is often indicated in the media by a pink color change.
Thioglycolate broth is also used to recruit macrophage
Macrophage
Macrophages are cells produced by the differentiation of monocytes in tissues. Human macrophages are about in diameter. Monocytes and macrophages are phagocytes. Macrophages function in both non-specific defense as well as help initiate specific defense mechanisms of vertebrate animals...
s to the peritoneal cavity
Peritoneal cavity
The peritoneal cavity is a potential space between the parietal peritoneum and visceral peritoneum, that is, the two membranes that separate the organs in the abdominal cavity from the abdominal wall...
of mice when injected intraperitoneally. It recruits numerous macrophages, but does not activate them.
Sources
- http://ftp.ccccd.edu/dcain/CCCCD%20Micro/thioglycollatebroth.htm
- http://www.spectromelt.com/analytics/Micro_Manual/TEDISdata/prods/1_08191_0500_5000.html
- http://www.keul.de/english/products/microbiology_-_labm/media_range/fluid_thioglycollate_medium_(u.s.p._).html