| Agar | A complex mixture of polysaccharides obtained from marine red algae, used as an emulsion stabilizer in foods, as a sizing in fabrics, as a gelling agent and as a solid substrate or media for the laboratory culture of microorganisms. Agar melts at 100ºC and when cooled below 44ºC forms a stiff and transparent gel. Microorganisms are seeded and grown on the surface of the gel. |