Nutrient Agar is used for the cultivation of bacteria and for the enumeration of organisms in water, sewage, feces, and other materials.

• Beef extract provides carbohydrates, vitamins, nitrogen, and salts
• Peptones provide a source of nitrogen
• Agar is the solidifying agent

Nutrient Agar consists of peptone, beef extract, and agar. This relatively simple formulation provides the nutrients necessary for the replication of a large number of microorganisms that are not excessively fastidious.