Final answer:
The statement is false; prototrophic bacteria only require minimal media since they can synthesize all needed compounds, while a complete medium often contains additional nutrients for fastidious bacteria.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that a medium containing only the nutrients required for prototrophic bacteria is termed a complete medium is false. Prototrophic bacteria can synthesize all the necessary compounds for their growth from basic ingredients, thus they do not require a complete medium but can thrive on a minimal medium containing only the basics. On the other hand, a complete medium, which is often enriched with factors like vitamins and growth factors, is used to culture fastidious bacteria, which cannot synthesize those necessary compounds and require them to be present in the medium. Complex media like tryptic soy broth provide an environment adequate for the growth of many types of bacteria since they contain a mixture of nutrients, although the exact composition of these nutrients may not be precisely known. Conversely, chemically defined media are those in which each chemical component is specifically known and measured.