Final answer:
Bacteria can be grown in culture by providing them with the necessary nutrients and creating a suitable physical environment. Bacterial growth is indicated by a cloudy appearance in the culture. Confirmatory tests are required to verify the presence of specific bacterial pathogens.
Step-by-step explanation:
Bacteria can be grown in culture by providing them with the necessary nutrients and creating a suitable physical environment. The food provided in the media is broken down by cells and used for energy and building biomass. Bacteria have different options for making energy, depending on the type of organic molecules in the food and the availability of oxygen as a final electron acceptor.
In bacteriological cultivation, bacterial growth is indicated by the development of a cloudy appearance in the culture. If the broth looks cloudy immediately after inoculation, it may be difficult to determine if this is due to bacterial growth during the incubation period. It is important to create an appropriate physical environment with controlled factors such as temperature, pH, and atmospheric gases to support bacterial growth.
The growth and appearance of colonies on selective and differential media can indicate the presence of specific bacterial pathogens, but these results need to be confirmed before reporting contamination. Additional tests are necessary to confirm the presence of bacteria in a culture.