Nocardia will grow on any medium that does not contain...

Nocardia is a genus of bacteria that is aerobic and typically requires oxygen for growth, which makes it necessary for growth mediums to provide atmospheric oxygen levels. The fact that the organism will grow on any medium that does not contain antibiotics highlights the nature of Nocardia's susceptibility to these substances. In a laboratory setting, antibiotics are often used to inhibit the growth of unwanted or contaminating bacteria. Therefore, if antibiotics are present in the medium, they may prevent the growth of Nocardia, thus supporting the idea that Nocardia can thrive on a variety of nutrient-rich environments as long as they are free from antibiotics.

While other options, such as nutrients, oxygen, or sugar, could theoretically influence growth conditions, they do not fundamentally inhibit Nocardia's ability to grow as antibiotics do. Nutrients are typically necessary for any form of bacterial growth, and Nocardia, being aerobic, does indeed need oxygen in its growth medium. The absence of sugar is not specifically critical for the growth of Nocardia since it can utilize a variety of carbon sources. Thus, the presence of antibiotics is the key factor that makes them unable to grow, affirming that the correct response is the prohibition of antibiotics in the growth medium for Nocardia