True or False: Liquid media is always planted before solid media.

Liquid media does not have to be plated before solid media; the sequence of using liquid versus solid media depends on the specific laboratory protocols and the type of organisms being cultured. Both liquid and solid media have distinct purposes in microbiology.

Liquid media is often used for growing large amounts of microorganisms in a nutrient-rich solution, which is beneficial for certain applications, such as examining physiological characteristics or metabolic activities. Solid media, on the other hand, is used for isolating and identifying specific colonies of organisms, as it allows for the differentiation of distinct species based on colony morphology.

While certain procedures may involve inoculating liquid media prior to transferring organisms to solid media—to obtain isolated colonies for testing—this is not always the case. In some instances, especially when isolating specific organisms from a mixed culture, researchers may directly streak a sample onto solid media.

Thus, stating that liquid media is always planted before solid media overlooks the flexibility and variety of laboratory practices.