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Blood Agar

Blood agar is used to culture fastidious organisms and study hemolytic reactions. It contains sheep blood to provide nutrients that support growth of fastidious bacteria. Colonies are observed for alpha, beta, or gamma hemolysis depending on the breakdown of red blood cells. Beta hemolysis indicates complete lysis and is characteristic of pathogenic strains like Streptococcus pyogenes, while alpha shows partial lysis as seen with S. pneumoniae. The medium provides optimal growth conditions, though sheep blood does not support Haemophilus haemolyticus and horse blood must be used instead.

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881 views8 pages

Blood Agar

Blood agar is used to culture fastidious organisms and study hemolytic reactions. It contains sheep blood to provide nutrients that support growth of fastidious bacteria. Colonies are observed for alpha, beta, or gamma hemolysis depending on the breakdown of red blood cells. Beta hemolysis indicates complete lysis and is characteristic of pathogenic strains like Streptococcus pyogenes, while alpha shows partial lysis as seen with S. pneumoniae. The medium provides optimal growth conditions, though sheep blood does not support Haemophilus haemolyticus and horse blood must be used instead.

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Ramu
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We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Blood Agar

• Used for cultivation of fastidious organisms and


studying haemolytic reactions.
• It provides improved and enhanced haemolysis.
• Addition of blood makes the medium more nutritious
by providing additional growth factors required by
fastidious organisms.
• Haemolytic reactions depend on the animal blood
used
Composition

Ingredients Grams/Litre
Casein enzymic hydrolysate 14.000
Peptic digest of animal tissue 4.500
Yeast extract 4.500
Sodium chloride 5.000
Agar 12.500
Sheep Blood 5.000
Final pH [at 25° C ] 7.3±2
• Casein enzymic hydrolysate and yeast extract provide nitrogen, carbon, amino
acids and vitamins.

• Peptic digest of animal tissue is the nitrogen source.

• Sodium chloride maintains the osmotic balance.


Principle

 Haemolysins are exotoxins produced by bacteria that lyse red blood


cells.
 The haemolytic reaction can be visualized on blood agar plates.
 On blood agar plates colonies of haemolytic bacteria may be
surrounded by clear, colourless zone where the red blood cells have
been lysed and the haemoglobin destroyed to a colourless compound.
 There are three types of hemolysis, designated alpha, beta and gamma
 Alpha hemolysis is a greenish
discoloration that surrounds a
bacterial colony growing on the
agar.
 This type of hemolysis
represents a partial
decomposition of the
hemoglobin of the red blood
cells.
 Alpha hemolysis is characteristic
of Streptococcus pneumonia.
 Beta hemolysis represents
a complete breakdown of the
hemoglobin of the red blood
cells in the vicinity of a
bacterial colony.
 There is a clearing of the
agar around a colony.
 Beta hemolysis is
characteristic of
Streptococcus pyogenes and
some strains of
Staphylococcus aureus.
 Gamma hemolysis is a lack
of hemolysis in the area
around a bacterial colony.
 A blood agar plate
displaying gamma
hemolysis actually appears
brownish.
 This is a normal reaction
of the blood to the growth
conditions used (37° C in
the presence of carbon
dioxide).
 Gamma hemolysis is a
characteristic
of Enterococcus faecalis.
Limitations

 Sheep blood gives best results for Group A Streptococci.


 But sheep blood fails to support growth of Haemophilus
haemolyticus since sheep blood is deficient in pyridine
nucleotides.
 However when horse blood is used H. haemolyticus
colonies produce haemolysis and mimic Streptococcus
pyogenes .
References

 Hi Media Labs
 https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedi
as-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/blood-agar-
hemolysis-and-hemolytic-reactions

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