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Does light affect bacteria growth?

Kaia Pelkey

Masters

Physical Science

Period 5

11/10/2020

Word count: 623

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Kaia Pelkey

Masters

Physical Science

Period 5

11/10/2020

Does light affect bacteria growth?

Many scientists have wondered if light has an effect on bacteria growth. Bacteria is a

microorganism that can be found almost everywhere where moisture is present. Growth in

bacteria happens very fast and can be affected by several factors, one of which can be light.

Light is the reason for life and supports the growth of most living things. There are different

types of light such as: sunlight, and ultraviolet (UV) light, which is found in sunlight. There are

many ways light can affect bacterial growth in our world today.

Bacteria is found in any place where moisture is present. Without moisture, bacteria

cannot grow or reproduce. Seventy percent of a bacterial cell is made up of water (Taylor 1).

Bacteria can be defined as a unicellular microorganism that is not visible to the naked eye, but is

extremely powerful and complex. Studies have shown that bacterial ​microorganisms have two

primary goals: first, to supply enough energy to manage their processes and second, to extract

building blocks to repair themselves or reproduce (Lacoma 1).​ Bacterial ​microorganisms thrive

in particular environments (Taylor 1). Scientists have found that​ surfaces exposed to sunlight

have fewer colonies of bacteria than those that are not exposed to sunlight (Ojong 1). This shows

that bacteria reacts to sunlight by slowing its reproduction, and therefore growth.

Growth of bacteria cultures is defined as the increase in the number of bacteria in a

population and not the size of an individual cell (Rogers and Kander 1). Bacteria needs moisture
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and a source of nutrients to grow and reproduce (Taylor 1). Growth of bacteria happens in an

exponential manner; one cell creates two cells, then two cells create four cells, then four cells

create eight cells, and so on (Rogers, and Kander 1). The rate at which the number of bacteria

increases is dependent on environmental factors (Rogers, and Kander). ​Some environmental

factors could include light. ​Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is known to inhibit cell growth and induce

gene damage (Kodoth, and Jones 1). ​This is the reason why studies have shown the more UV

light bacteria is exposed to, the less they are able to reproduce and create more colonies (Kodoth,

and Jones 1).

Light can be used to activate photosensory compounds and proteins (Lubner 1). As

many as one-third of other bacterial species may react to light by producing physiological or

chemical changes (Tompa 1). Researchers​ at the University of Oregon found that in dark rooms,

about 12 percent of bacteria were able to reproduce. In the same study, only 6.8 percent of

bacteria were able to reproduce in sunlight. ​Finally, in this research study, only 6.1 percent of

bacteria was able to reproduce in UV light (Ojong 1). The study concludes that environments

that are exposed to light have half the viable bacteria growth potential compared to rooms

without light (O’Neil 1). In another bacterial experiment scientists measured the growth of

bacteria from sunlight through windows, which was compared to bacterial growth in rooms

without windows and not exposed to light (Fahimipour et al. 1). This experiment concluded that

sunlight through windows caused a lower reproduction rate of bacteria.

Does light affect bacteria growth? Bacteria is a microorganism that can be found almost

everywhere on our planet. Bacterial growth happens rapidly and happens at an exponential rate.

Light is the reason for life and growth of all living organisms. Several studies have concluded
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that light, including UV light, can negatively impact bacterial growth. Bacteria grows more

effectively in environments where UV light is not present.

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Citation Page

Fahimipour, Ashkaan K, et al. “Daylight Exposure Modulates Bacterial Communities Associated

with Household Dust.” ​Microbiome​, BioMed Central, 18 Oct. 2018,

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6193304/.

Kodath, Varna, and Jones, Meghan. “The Effects of Ultraviolet Light on Escherichia Coli:

Journal of Emerging Investigators.” ​The Effects of Ultraviolet Light on Escherichia Coli |

Journal of Emerging Investigators​, Journal of Emerging Investigators, 7 Sept. 2015,

www.emerginginvestigators.org/articles/the-effects-of-ultraviolet-light-on-em-escherichia-coli-e

m.

Lacoma, Tyler. “Factors That Affect the Growth of Microorganisms.” ​Sciencing,​ Sciencing, 2

Mar. 2019, sciencing.com/factors-affect-growth-microorganisms-5299917.html.

Lubner, Carolyn E. “Bacteria ‘Read’ Light To Gain a Competitive Advantage.” ​Journal of

Bacteriology​, American Society for Microbiology Journals, 15 May 2019,

jb.asm.org/content/201/10/e00082-19.

Ojong, Tambetta. “Letting Sunlight in Really Can Kill Dark-Loving Bacteria, Study Shows.”

ABC News,​ ABC News Network, 18 Oct. 2018, abcnews.go.com/.

O'Neil, Kathleen. “Grandma Was Right: Sunshine Helps Kill Germs Indoors.” ​NPR,​ NPR, 18

Oct. 2018,

www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/10/18/658335490/grandma-was-right-sunshine-helps-ki

ll-germs-indoors.
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Rogers, Kara, and Robert J. Kadner. “Growth of Bacterial Populations.” ​Encyclopædia

Britannica,​ Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 20 June 2019,

www.britannica.com/science/bacteria/Growth-of-bacterial-populations.

Tompa, Rachel, and Rachel Tompa. “Study Finds Deadly Bacteria Responds to Light.” ​Stanford

University,​ Stanford, 7 Nov. 2007,

news.stanford.edu/news/2007/november7/bacteria-110707.html.