Purpose Of Fatty Acids In Media - (Oct/29/2012 )

What is the purpose of having a fatty acid solution in media?

Also, I'm a little confused by the term enrichment vs media. For enrichments, that would consist of trying different subtrates for the microbial growth, correct? ie glucose, sucrose, etc? Media would then be used once the organism of interest has been isolated correct? Preparing media that contains the substrate for more favorable growth?

In which media? Some bugs prefer FA as C-source.

Well, a medium is a recipe/mix of chemicals, extracts, etc to grow microbes in the lab.

Respect to enrichment, it can be used in 2 ways:
- Enrichment medium is a medium that promotes the growth of some groups favouring certain metabolic features. I prefer using the term selective medium for this.
- Enrichment (cultures) are made in natural or simulated natural conditions modifying some parameters (it includes adding chemicals) to favour the predominance of some microorganisms from that source/environment. e.g. a water sample under different temperatures, light intensities,... a soil slurry spiked with xenobiotics,...