Final answer:
Staphylococcus aureus, including MRSA strains, can grow on Mannitol Salt Agar (MSA) due to its tolerance of high concentrations of sodium chloride (7.5% NaCl) present in MSA. S. aureus is able to ferment mannitol, resulting in a noticeable yellow color change on the MSA plate.
Step-by-step explanation:
Staphylococcus aureus, including MRSA strains, can be encouraged to grow on Mannitol Salt Agar (MSA) due to its tolerance of high concentrations of sodium chloride (7.5% NaCl) present in MSA. Staphylococcus species, including S. aureus, are able to grow on MSA, while Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CoNS) species cannot. Additionally, S. aureus is able to ferment mannitol, which results in the production of acid that causes a noticeable yellow color change on the MSA plate.