1. What is Culture Media?
Culture media are artificial nutrient systems designed to support the growth of plant cells, tissues, or organs outside of a natural environment. A successful media formulation provides:
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Minerals for structure and metabolism
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Sugars as energy sources
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Vitamins and amino acids for growth
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Growth hormones to direct development
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A solidifying agent (typically agar)
📌 Detailed explanation from Plant Cell Technology
2. Functions of Culture Media
| Function | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Nutrient supply | Provides essential macro- and micronutrients |
| Energy source | Usually sucrose, supports respiration & growth |
| pH balance | Typically 5.5–6.0, promotes nutrient uptake |
| Osmotic stability | Maintains cellular water balance |
| Growth regulation | Controlled by added PGRs (e.g., auxins, cytokinins) |
📌 MS Medium Reference Sheet (Sigma-Aldrich)
3. Key Media Types
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MS Medium (Murashige and Skoog): The gold standard for most applications.
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Gamborg’s B5: Often used for cell suspensions.
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White’s Medium: One of the earliest plant media formulations.
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Woody Plant Medium (WPM): Lower salt concentration for woody species.
📌 Comparing Media Formulations
4. Solid vs. Liquid Media
| Type | When to Use |
|---|---|
| Solid (agar) | Rooting, callus growth, shoot formation |
| Semi-solid | Callus maintenance, slow-growing species |
| Liquid | Suspension cultures, high-volume applications |
5. Overview of Media Development
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Early experiments (1900s–1950s) used natural extracts like coconut water or potato mash.
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In the 1960s, MS medium was developed to support rapid, repeatable plant growth.
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Today, media are customized to suit species-specific or stage-specific needs.