SHEEP BLOOD AGAR PLATE

Sheep Blood Agar medium is both differential and enriched medium and used for the isolation, cultivation and detection of hemolytic activity of fastidious microorganisms like Streptococci and Pneumococci. The Blood Agar plate medium contains highly nutritious extract and the 5 % blood supplement which provides additional use in isolation, cultivation, and determination of hemolytic reactions of fastidious pathogenic microorganisms. In sheep blood, nucleotidase destroys V factors preventing the growth of Haemophilus species on sheep blood agar unless other microorganisms, such as Staphylococci, provide the V factors. Small amounts of reducing sugars inhibit the expression of β-hemolysis, and βhemolytic Streptococci may develop a green zone or ring of hemolysis.

For cultivation of fastidious organisms and studying haemolytic reactions.