What is a key characteristic of selective media?

Selective media is specifically designed to inhibit the growth of certain types of bacteria while allowing others to thrive. This characteristic is crucial in microbiological assays because it enables the isolation of particular microbial species from a mixed culture. By adding specific inhibitors to the medium, such as antibiotics or dyes, selective media effectively suppresses the proliferation of unwanted organisms. This allows researchers to focus on the growth of the target bacteria, facilitating further analysis and characterization.

The ability to inhibit unwanted bacteria makes selective media particularly valuable in clinical diagnostics, environmental microbiology, and industrial applications, where certain bacteria need to be isolated from complex samples.