
The selective/ inhibitory agents of EMB are the dyes eosin
Eosin
Eosin is the name of several fluorescent acidic compounds which bind to and form salts with basic, or eosinophilic, compounds like proteins containing amino acid residues such as arginine and lysine, and stains them dark red or pink as a result of the actions of bromine on fluorescein. I…
Methylene blue
Methylene blue, also known as methylthioninium chloride, is a medication and dye. As a medication, it is mainly used to treat methemoglobinemia. Specifically, it is used to treat methemoglobin levels that are greater than 30% or in which there are symptoms despite oxygen therapy. It has pre…
What is EMB agar used for?
Eosin Methylene Blue (EMB) Agar. Eosin Methylene Blue (EMB) agar is a differential microbiological medium, which slightly inhibits the growth of Gram-positive bacteria and provides a color indicator distinguishing between organisms that ferment lactose (e.g., E. coli) and those that do not (e.g., Salmonella, Shigella).
What is an inhibitor for hemophilia?
What is an Inhibitor? What is an Inhibitor? An inhibitor is an immune system response to infused clotting factor concentrates, which renders standard replacement therapy ineffective. An estimated 1/3 to 1/5 of people with severe hemophilia A and 1% to 4% of those with severe hemophilia B may develop an inhibitor.
What is the function of EMB media?
EMB media assists in visual distinction Escherichia coli, other nonpathogenic lactose-fermenting enteric gram-negative rods, and the Salmonella and Shigella genera. It also helps in the isolation and differentiation of lactose fermenting and non-lactose fermenting enteric bacilli.
What bacteria does not grow on EMB agar?
Some strains of Salmonella and Shigella may fail to grow on EMB Agar. Some gram-positive bacteria, such as enterococci, staphylococci, and yeast will grow on this medium and usually form pinpoint colonies. Non-pathogenic, non-lactose-fermenting organisms will also grow on this medium.

What is inhibited by the dyes in the EMB?
EMB agar is selective for gram-negative bacteria. The dye methylene blue in the medium inhibits the growth of gram-positive bacteria; small amounts of this dye effectively inhibit the growth of most gram-positive bacteria (8).
Why does EMB inhibit gram positive?
Colonies produced by lactose non-fermentors are not dark blue or black. The growth of Gram positive bacteria is generally inhibited on EMB agar because of the toxicity of methlyene blue dye.
What makes EMB agar selective and differential?
It is a selective medium due to inhibition of gram-positive bacteria by methylene blue. EMB agar's differential property comes from the eosin and methylene blue complex formation under acidic pH.
What is the key substrate in the EMB media?
EMB agar contains sucrose and lactose, utilized as fermentable carbohydrates substrates, which encourage the growth of some gram-negative bacteria, especially fecal and non-fecal coliforms.
What are the selective agents found in EMB?
The selective/ inhibitory agents of EMB are the dyes eosin Y and methylene blue. Methylene blue inhibits the gram + bacteria (eosin to a lesser extent), while eosin changes color, to a dark purple, when the medium around the colony becomes acidic.
What is inhibiting G+ from growing in EMB agar?
Eosin Methylene Blue (EMB) agar is both selective and differential. It contains the dyes eosin and methylene blue, which inhibit the growth of gram-positive bacteria and therefore select for gram-negative bacteria.
Why does E. coli turn green on EMB?
Lactose-fermenting coliforms, such as Escherichia coli, produce blue-black colonies with a green metallic sheen due to the amide bonding of the dyes in an acid condition.
Why do fermenters produce dark colonies on EMB agar?
Fermentation creates an acidic byproduct that will cause a color change due to the presence of the pH indicators (Eosin Y and Methylene Blue). Species that are able to ferment lactose, therefore, will produce dark purple, black or green colonies on the EMB agar plate.
Why is EMB agar used for E. coli?
In EMB agar, most of the strains of E. coli colonies have a characteristic green sheen. Rapid fermentation of lactose & production of strong acids, thus a rapid reduction in the pH of the EMB agar the critical factor in the formation of the green metallic sheen observed with E.
What inhibits the growth of Gram positive organisms on EMB media quizlet?
The selective agent in MacConkey agar that inhibits the growth of gram-positive organisms is the crystal violet and bile salts.
What is the difference between EMB agar and MacConkey agar?
Use MacConkey agar to differentiate between Gram negative bacteria while inhibiting the growth of most Gram positive bacteria. EMB agar inhibits growth of Gram positive bacteria while cultivating growth of Gram negative enteric microorganisms (bacilli).
What is the purpose of EMB agar quizlet?
In your own words, what is the application (purpose) of EMB agar? EMB agar is used to stain gram negative bacteria. It is used to isolate fecal coliforms(G- bacteria rod)*** . It's used to distinguish between lactose fermenting coliforms and lactose non fermenting coliforms.
Can Gram positive bacteria grow on EMB agar?
Limitations of EMB Agar Some strains of Salmonella and Shigella may fail to grow on EMB Agar. Some gram-positive bacteria, such as enterococci, staphylococci, and yeast will grow on this medium and usually form pinpoint colonies. Non-pathogenic, non-lactose-fermenting organisms will also grow on this medium.
Why do fermenters produce dark colonies on EMB agar?
Fermentation creates an acidic byproduct that will cause a color change due to the presence of the pH indicators (Eosin Y and Methylene Blue). Species that are able to ferment lactose, therefore, will produce dark purple, black or green colonies on the EMB agar plate.
How EMB media differentiate bacteria?
EMB is a differential microbiological medium, which slightly inhibits the growth of Gram-positive bacteria and provides a color indicator distinguishing between organisms that ferment lactose (e.g., E. coli) and those that do not (e.g., Salmonella, Shigella).
What is the difference between EMB agar and MacConkey agar?
Use MacConkey agar to differentiate between Gram negative bacteria while inhibiting the growth of most Gram positive bacteria. EMB agar inhibits growth of Gram positive bacteria while cultivating growth of Gram negative enteric microorganisms (bacilli).
What is an inhibitor in hemophilia?
An inhibitor is an immune system response to infused clotting factor concentrates, which renders standard replacement therapy ineffective. An estimated 1/3 to 1/5 of people with severe hemophilia A and 1% to 4% of those with severe hemophilia B may develop an inhibitor.
What is the name of the antibody that binds to a clotting factor?
These antibodies are called inhibitors. The antibody, or inhibitor, binds itself to the infused clotting factor making it difficult, ...
What is the cellular response to a foreign substance?
Once something has made its way past these barriers, the body mounts a cellular immune response. This cellular response results in the production of antibodies. An antibody is produced in response to the presence of foreign substance in the body.
How do antibodies help the body?
In most cases, antibodies can help protect the body by destroying foreign substances (which are often viruses and bacteria) that can cause disease. People who have hemophilia may not produce the coagulation protein needed for this process.
What is the body's first line of defense?
The immune system's first lines of defense are barriers, such as the skin and mucus membranes. However, this is not the body's only defense.
What is EMB Agar ?
An EMB agar stands for eosin methylene blue agar; which is both a differential and selective culture medium.
What is the color indicator for coliforms?
The color indicator distinguishes microorganisms that are lactose fermenting and non-lactose fermenting. Microorganisms that have the ability to ferment lactose have nucleated colonies with dark centers.
What microorganisms produce dark purple colonies?
Microorganisms that are gram negative ferment the lactose producing dark purple colonies. Some lactose fermenting microorganisms produce dark and flat colonies characterized by a distinct green metallic sheen colo. Some lactose ferment ing microorganisms create large mucoid colonies with a noticeable purple colon in the middle.
Why is EMB agar used?
The EMB agar is the preferred one because it is more stable and more sensitive when compared to other types of agars. In 1918, another form of EMB agar was described by Levine. This time, the agar can differentiate fecal and non-fecal types of coli aerogenes group as well as salmonellae and other types of non-lactose fermenting organisms.
Why is gram negative differential?
It is differential because of its components; sugar lactose, sucrose, and dyes Eosin Y and methylene blue. If there is a good growth, then it indicates that the bacteria are gram negative. If there is no growth or at least poor growth, it is an indicator that the microorganisms are gram positive. (1, 2)
What does it mean when a microorganism has no growth?
If there is no growth or at least poor growth, it is an indicator that the microorganisms are gram positive. (1, 2) Picture 1: The image shows colonies of E. coli in the emb agar as characterized by the greenish metallic sheen. Image Source: microbeonline.com.
What color is lactose?
coli colonies have a green sheen, but sometimes they have blue-black bulls eye. On the other hand, lactose non-fermenting microorganisms are characterized by a light lavender color.
