Wild-type strains of a yeast species can grow on a medium of glucose, minerals, and niacin.Many strains that have been subjected to X rays cannot grow on this medium (call it medium Q) unless other substances are added to it.Medium Q is thus a(n) _______ medium.
A) mutagenic
B) enzymatic
C) minimal
D) model
E) wild-type

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A minimal medium is a basic medium that contains only the essential nutrients required for growth, typically a carbon source, nitrogen source, and minerals. In this case, medium Q only contains glucose, minerals, and niacin, which are the required nutrients for wild-type strains to grow. The fact that strains that have been subjected to X-rays cannot grow on this minimal medium suggests that the X-rays have induced mutations that have affected the ability of these strains to synthesize or use certain nutrients, and they require additional substances to be added to the medium to overcome these deficiencies. Therefore, medium Q is a minimal medium.

Wild-Type Strains of a Yeast Species Can Grow on a Medium