What are the different types of culture media used in microbiology?

Culture media types include: defined (synthetic) media with known chemical composition for reproducible research; complex media containing undefined components like yeast extract, peptone, or meat extracts for robust growth; selective media with inhibitory agents selecting for specific organisms; differential media distinguishing organisms based on biochemical properties (MacConkey, blood agar); enrichment media promoting growth of particular species; and maintenance media for long-term storage. Industrial fermentation often uses complex media for production but defined media for research. Media selection affects growth rate, product yield, and downstream processing.