What are the characteristics of selective media?

Selective media includes special components which prevents the growth of unwanted organisms, and promotes the growth of certain desired organisms. For example, if a particular organism can consume a specific sugar, the medium will include only that sugar as a source of carbon. This makes it simple to identify organisms capable of utilizing that sugar. This type of media on its own cannot visually show the differences between various organisms that have grown on it. One would typically need to use selective and differential media together to achieve this.