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Chapter 4 Bacterial Growth Requirements

Bacteria have several nutritional and physical requirements for growth. Nutritionally, they require a carbon source, as well as nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, and inorganic ions. Physically, they require moisture, an appropriate temperature, pH, oxygen levels, and osmotic conditions. Most medically important bacteria are mesophiles that grow best between 20-40°C, at a neutral pH, and are facultative anaerobes. The bacterial growth curve consists of a lag phase, log phase of rapid exponential growth, stationary phase, and death phase.

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234 views13 pages

Chapter 4 Bacterial Growth Requirements

Bacteria have several nutritional and physical requirements for growth. Nutritionally, they require a carbon source, as well as nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, and inorganic ions. Physically, they require moisture, an appropriate temperature, pH, oxygen levels, and osmotic conditions. Most medically important bacteria are mesophiles that grow best between 20-40°C, at a neutral pH, and are facultative anaerobes. The bacterial growth curve consists of a lag phase, log phase of rapid exponential growth, stationary phase, and death phase.

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Princess Angie Gonzales
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Chapter 4

Bacterial Growth Requirements


Nutritional Requirements
• Carbon
• Makes up the structural backbone/skeleton of all organic molecules
• Microbes may be classified into autotrophs (litotrophs) and heterotrophs (organotrophs)
• Autotrophs - Microorganisms that utilize inorganic compounds and inorganic salts as sole carbon
source
• Organotrophs - Organisms that make use of organic substance such as sugars/glucose as carbon
source
• Photolithotrophs and photoorganotrophs – energy is derived from light
• Chemolithotrophs and chemoorganotrophs – energy is derived from the oxidation of inorganic
substances
• Most medically important bacteria are chemoorganotrophs
Nutritional Requirements
• Nitrogen, Sulfur, Phosphorus
• Necessary for synthesis of cellular materials (proteins and nucleic acids)
• Nitrogen & and sulfur are required for protein synthesis
• Nitrogen and phosphorus are essential for nucleic acids and ATP synthesis.
• Roughly 14% of the dry weight of bacterial cell is nitrogen and 4% is sulfur and
phosphorus
• Inorganic Ions
• Includes magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron, and trace elements (manganese, zinc,
copper, cobalt).
• Magnesium stabilizes ribosomes, cell membranes, and nucleic acids.
• Potassium, required for normal functioning and integrity of ribosomes and
participates in certain enzymatic activities of the cell
• Calcium, important component of gram + bacterial cell wall, contributes to the
resistance of bacterial endospores in hostile environmental conditions.
• Iron, component of cytochrome (component of electron transport chain)
Physical Requirements
• Moisture/Water
• Serves as medium which bacteria acquire their nutrients
• Oxygen
• Used by aerobic bacteria for cellular respiration, serves as final electron
acceptor.
• Microbes are classified as either aerobes or anaerobes
• Aerobes – microbes that utilizes molecular oxygen for energy production
• Obligate anaerobes – microbes that can’t survive in the presence of oxygen
• Organisms that can grow and survive under both aerobic and anaerobic
conditions are called facultative organisms. Most medically important
bacteria are facultative
• Microaerophiles – organisms able to grow at low oxygen but rate of growth is
diminished
• Capnophiles – organisms that may require the addition of carbon dioxide to
enhance growth
Physical Requirements
• Temperature
• Microbes are classified into three groups based on temperature
requirements;
• Thermophiles – grow best at temperature higher than 40°C
• Mesophiles – optimal temperature of 20°C - 40°C
• Psychrophiles – optimal temperature of 10°C - 20°C
• Most medically important bacteria are mesophiles
• pH
• Alkalophiles – microbes that grow best in pH 8.4 - 9.0
• Neutrophiles – grows best in pH 6.5 – 7.5
• Acidophiles – bacteria require pH less than 6.0
Physical Requirements
• Osmotic Conditions
• Osmotic pressure is determined by salt concentration
• Normal microbial cytoplasmic salt concentration is approximately 1%
• Optimum condition if the external environment also has same salt
concentration.
• If extracellular salt concentration is increased , water will flow out of microbial
cell and the organism will shrink and die (hypertonic)
• If external environment does not have salt, water will flow into the bacterial
cell causing the organisms to swell or rupture (hypotonic)
• Halophiles (diatoms and dinoflagellates) – require high salt concentrations for
growth
• Osmophiles – require high osmotic pressure for optimal growth
Bacterial Growth Curve
Bacterial Growth Curve
• Lag Phase
• Period of adjustment for the bacteria in the new environment
• No appreciable increase in growth
• Organisms will show increased metabolic activity to synthesize DNA and
secrete enzymes which might not be present in their new environment but
needed by organisms.
• May last for 1 to 4 hours
Bacterial Growth Curve
• Log/Logarithmic/Exponential Phase
• Characterized by rapid cell division, increase number of bacteria
• High metabolic activity
• Period when the generation time or doubling time of the organisms is
determined
• Generation time of 10 minutes means that bacteria will double in every 10
minutes showing exponential growth
• Average duration about 8 hours
Bacterial Growth Curve
• Stationary Phase
• Period of equilibrium
• Rate of growth slows down, nutrients starts to deplete, toxic waste begins to
accumulate
• Number of living cells equal number of dead cells
• Gram positive may become gram negative (lesions in the side walls)
• Sporulation occur towards the end of this phase (if spore-forming microbe,
beginning of the phase)
Bacterial Growth Curve
• Death or Decline Phase
• Period of rapid cell death
• Number of dead cells is greater than living cells
• Continuous depletion of nutrients and accumulation of waste materials
• Duration varies from few hours to few days

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