Microbial growth &

Factors affecting growth

A.Arun
A.Arun
Lecturer in Microbiology,
Lecturer in Microbiology,
Thiagarajar college,
Thiagarajar college,
Madurai
Madurai
Growth

• In Physical term
Increase in size or number of Individual cell

• Many factors
 Determine the cell to divide or grow
 Physical factors – Environmental
conditions, Temperature, O2, Pressure etc.
 Chemical Factors - pH, nutrient etc.
Growth in Prokaryotes

• Various biochemical & physical events

Occur
In cell

From time it derived from parental cell

Until it divides in to two daughter cells

This period of time is called

Bacterial cell cycle
Bacterial cell cycle

• Characterized by Number of event

 Growth – Coordinated synthesis of macromolecules as well as cellular
components
 Septum formation
 Division
Binary fission
Binary fission
Growth Phases

Microbial populations

Batch culture Continuous culture

Cells grown in batch nutrient Continuous nutrient environment

environment
Growth curve

To
From Inoculation Growth
ceases

Cell have various Growth phases

Growth curve
Phases of growth
Phases of growth
Lag phase

Following Require some time to adjust to their new

Following
environment
Inoculation
Inoculation

Lag Refers lag in cell division

During Lag

1. in size, Produce enzymes to metabolize the nutrients.

Increase2. Synthesize RNA and Protein.
Increase

DNA remain constant

Lag Phase

Length of Lag phase

Length of Lag phase

Is related to
Physiological and genetic state of cell at the time of
inoculation.
Cells
Nutritionally starved long Lag phase
If from nutritionally rich short lag phase
Log phase (Exponential phase)

• Phase at which cell division is maintained at a constant and

maximum rate.
e.g., In E.coli Nutrient rich
Take 30 min to
medium divide

e.g., In E.coli Less nutrient rich

medium

Take 60 min to
divide
Log phase

• Doubling time
Remain constant in log phase
Log Phase – said to be balanced growth
In Log Phase – Cell population doubles .So also DNA , RNA &
Protein
In Batch Culture:
No nutrient enter
No waste product removed
At one time:
Reach a point – rate of growth slows down
Due to the factors such as : Over crowding, Nutrietion depletion , pH etc
End of the Log Phase : Trophophase – Primary metabolites produced
Stationary phase

• Number of cells – Constant.

Called as – Unbalanced growth

Cell components
& Synthesized at different rate
macromolecules

Some cells Divide and others die

Stationary phase

Cells which are alive produce

2ndary metabolites and
wastes

Idiophase
Idiophase
 Waste product
Inhibit cell division

Some Dying cells

Release autolytic enzymes Protease, nuclease, lipase etc

Which break down

macromolecules Which can be used by alive cells

Death or Decline phase Death of the cell increased

Death or Decline phase Death of the cell increased
Continuous culture

• In batch culture
it can not control the factors (Nutrient supply & waste removal)which
decrease the growth rate.

To Overcome this problem –

Continuous culture system can be used.
 Primary purpose of continuous culture
To maintain cell population at constant rate

The devised used – Chemo stat & turbidostat

Factors affecting growth

• In addition to Chemical needs – also affected by physical nature of

environment

• Environmental factors – Temperature , pH, Osmotic pressure , radiation

Influence the growth of the particular organism

Temperature
Growth Influenced by Enzymatic reactions Temperature
Plays Imp role

Temperature Max Growth Optimum growth temperature (*)

Above (*) Enzyme get denatured

Below (*) Enzyme get inactivated

Based on Optimum growth temperature

Psychrophiles

Mesophiles

Thermopiles

Hyper thermopiles
Psychrophiles

• Grow Between 0° to 20°c

• Found Antarctic, cold soil, Stream, Ocean water, Rivers, Lake
mud.
• Role Biodegradation in cold water lake, refrigerated foods.

Ribosome Unstable above 20°

Ribosome Unstable above 20°

protected from cold – unsaturated fatty

Psychrophiles protected from cold – unsaturated fatty
Psychrophiles acids
acids
High Disrupt fatty acid Cell content leak
High
Temperature Disrupt fatty acid Cell content leak
Temperature
Lysis
Lysis
Thermophiles

• Grow Between 40°C to 80°C.

Some grow even in 90°C to 100°C.

Some G+ / G- Bacilli, Cyanobacteria, Photosynthetic bacteria Thermophiles

- Present in hot springs

- Have normal cell components as is mesophiles

With stand Presence of polar amino acids in

High With stand
temperature Presenceinterior
of polar
of amino
cell acids in
High temperature interior of cell

Cell membrane
Cell membrane More branched, longer and
components More branched,
components saturated fattylonger
acid and
saturated fatty acid
Mesophiles

• Most Microbes Mesophiles

• Temp Range - Between 25° to 40°c
• Optimum Temp - 37°c
Osmotic pressure

Not lyse –
In low solute conc. due to
Microbes (Hypotonic) rigid cell
wall

Extreme homophiles
In High salt conc. e.g. Dead sea
(Halobacterium)

Food with 12% salt No Microbes grow

Hydrostatic pressure

Pressure in bottom
Hydrostatic pressure Affect Living kinds
of water

InInevery
every10
10 One
Oneatm.
atm.PP
meter
meter increase
increase

Philippine marina
Depth – 10,800m 1160 atm.P
trench sea
Hydrostatic pressure

• Barobiology – Study the effect of Pressure on Living things.

Barophiles/
Barophiles/
Baro tolerant Live in High pressure
Baro tolerant

Non Barophiles Have gas vacuoles

Non Barophiles
Hydrogen ion concentration
Hydrogen ion concentration

Bacteria Excrete
growing in products by Acid / Base
Nutrient broth metabolism

Disrupt
Growth Change the
enzymes
decrese medium pH
action

Buffer system used

Buffer system used

Microbial metabolic
Range pH 5 - 8
activities
Hydrogen ion concentration
Acidophiles
Acidophiles
Types
Basophiles
Basophiles

Neutrophiles
Neutrophiles

Sulfolobus, Thermal acidic soil,

Thermoplasma acidophilum Acid hot springs

don’t have peptidoglycon layer

Have Polyhexagonal array of protein for
stability

Fungi- Grow in pH 5
Fungi- Grow in pH 5
Bacteria - Grow in pH 7
Bacteria - Grow in pH 7
Electromagnetic radiation

Energy
Electromagnetic transferred from
Through space
radiation one place to
another

Microbes grow - Visible Range

Microbes grow - Visible Range
Electromagnetic radiation

X ray , Gamma ray, UV Lethal Microbial growth

T dimer in
UV No growth
DNA

Phototrophs

Use light
energy