Microbial Growth

MODULE 3 LESSON 1
 "Growth"

NOT CELL SIZE INCREASE IN POPULATION

Unlike normal animal/plant cells More colonies, more mass
Requirements Physical Requirements

for Microbial
Growth
Chemical Requirements
 TEMPERATURE
pH

Physical OSMOTIC PRESSURE

HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE
RADIATION
Temperature
Temperature is the most important factor that determines the rate of
growth, multiplication, survival, and death of all living organisms.
High temperatures damage microbes by denaturing enzymes,
transport carriers, and other proteins.
Microbial membrane are disrupted by temperature extremes.
At very low temperatures membranes also solidify and enzymes also
do not function properly.
Temperature
Minimum Temperature
The LOWEST temperature at which organisms grow

Optimum Temperature
The temperature at which the most rapid rate of multiplication occurs

Maximum Temperature
The HIGHEST temperature at which growth occurs
Temperature Optima
 Extremophilic organisms that are capable of
growth and reproduction in cold temperatures
Psychrophile Temperature range: −20°C to +15°C.

Examples: Oscillatoria, Chlamydomonas nivalis,

Methanogenium, etc.
 Cold - tolerant bacteria
Temperature range: 5°C to 30°C.

Psychrotroph Psychrotrophic fungi and bacteria are the

principal cause of spoilage of refrigerated food.

Examples: Pseudomonas, Aeromonas, Bacillus,

Clostridum, etc.
 Grows best in moderate temperature.
Temperature range: 10°C to 50°C.
Mesophile Examples: Escherichia coli, Streptococcus
pneumoniae, etc.
 Heat-loving microorganisms.
Grow at 50°C or higher. Their growth
minimum is usually around 45°C and often

Thermophile optima between 50 and 80°C.

Examples: Thermus aquaticus, Bacillus

stearothermophilus, etc.
 Thrives in extremely hot environments
Temperature range is 65°C to 130°C and

Hyperthermophile above.

Example: Geogemma barossii

 Microbial growth is strongly affected by the pH of
the medium.

pH Drastic variations in cytoplasmic pH disrupt the

plasma membrane or inhibit the activity of enzymes
and membrane transport protein
 Most bacteria are neutrophiles, meaning they
grow optimally at a pH within one or two pH units
of the neutral pH of 7. Most familiar bacteria, like
Escherichia coli, staphylococci, and Salmonella

Neutrophile
spp. are neutrophiles and do not fare well in the
acidic pH of the stomach. However, there are
pathogenic strains of E. coli, S. typhi, and other
species of intestinal pathogens that are much
more resistant to stomach acid. In comparison,
fungi thrive at slightly acidic pH values of 5.0–6.0.
 Microorganisms that grow optimally at pH less than
5.55 are called acidophiles. For example, the sulfur-
oxidizing Sulfolobus spp. These archaea survive at
pH values of 2.5–3.5. Species of the archaean genus
Ferroplasma live at pH values of 0–2.9. Lactobacillus

Acidophile bacteria, which are an important part of the normal

microbiota of the vagina, can tolerate acidic
environments at pH values 3.5–6.8 and also
contribute to the acidity of the vagina (pH of 4,
except at the onset of menstruation) through their
metabolic production of lactic acid.
 Microorganisms that grow best at pH between 8.0
and 10.5. Vibrio cholerae, the pathogenic agent of
cholera, grows best at the slightly basic pH of 8.0; it
can survive pH values of 11.0 but is inactivated by

Alkaliphile the acid of the stomach. When it comes to survival

at high pH, the bright pink archaean
Natronobacterium, found in the soda lakes of the
African Rift Valley, may hold the record at a pH of
10.5
Helicobacter pylori
 Osmotic Pressure
Osmotic pressure is the minimum pressure which
needs to be applied to a solution to prevent the
inward flow of water across a SPM.
Types of solution:
1. Hypotonic
2. Isotonic
3. Hypertonic
Classification
of Bacteria
OSMOTOLERANT
HALOPHILE
those microorganisms
which can grow at Grow in the presence of

According to relatively high salt

concentration.
salt at conc. above 20% to
60%.

Osmotic
Examples: Aeromonas Examples: Halobacterium
spp., Staphylococcus spp, halobium
etc.

Pressure
Hydrostatic Pressure
Microbes that live on land and water surface live at 1 atm.
Many bacteria and archaea live in deep sea with very high
hydrostatic pressures.
Barotolerant: increased pressure adversely affects them
but not as much as it does nontolerant microbes.
Piezophilic (barophilic): defined as an organism that has a
maximal growth rate at pressures greater than 1 atm.

For instance, a piezophile recovered from the Mariana trench

(depth about 10,500 m) grows only at pressures between about
400 to 500 atm when incubated at 2°C.
Radiation
More helpful in the control of growth.
One of the most damaging is ionizing radiation, radiation of
very short wavelength and high energy, which causes atoms
to lose electrons (ionize).
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is another very damaging form of
radiation. It can kill microorganisms due to its short
wavelength (approximately from 10 to 400 nm) and high
energy. The most lethal UV radiation has a wavelength of
260 nm, the wavelength most effectively absorbed by and
damaging to DNA.
 CARBON
NITROGEN, SULFUR, PHOSPHORUS

Chemical "OTHER" ELEMENTS

TRACE ELEMENTS
OXYGEN
Carbon
Makes up 50% of dry weight of cell.
Structural backbone of all organic compounds.

Chemoheterotrophs: Obtain carbon from their energy

source: lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates.

Chemoautotrophs and Photoautotrophs: Obtain carbon

from carbon dioxide.
Nitrogen
Makes up 14% of dry cell weight.
Used to form amino acids, DNA, and RNA.

Sources of nitrogen:
Protein: Most bacteria
Ammonium: Found in organic matter
Nitrogen gas (N2 ): Obtain N directly from atmosphere.
Important nitrogen fixing bacteria, live free in soil or
associated with legumes (peas, beans, alfalfa, clover, etc.).
Legume cultivation is used to fertilize soil naturally.
Nitrates: Salts that dissociate to give NO3 -
 Sulfur
Used to form proteins and some vitamins (thiamin and
biotin).

Sources of sulfur:
Protein: Most bacteria
Hydrogen sulfide
Sulfates: Salts that dissociate to gives sulfate

Phosphorus
Used to form DNA, RNA, ATP, and phospholipids.
Sources: Mainly inorganic phosphate salts and buffers.
"Other" Elements
Potassium, magnesium, and calcium are often
required as enzyme cofactors. Calcium is required for
cell wall synthesis in Gram positive bacteria

Trace Elements
Iron
Copper
Molybdenum
Zinc
Oxygen
Organisms that use molecular oxygen (O2 ), produce
more energy from nutrients than anaerobes.

Classification based on their oxygen requirements:

Obligate Aerobes: Require oxygen to live.

Facultative Anaerobes: Can use oxygen, but can grow
in its absence. Have complex set of enzymes.
Obligate Anaerobes: Cannot use oxygen and are
harmed by the presence of toxic forms of oxygen.
 Oxygen
Classification based on their oxygen
requirements: (cont'd)

Aerotolerant Anaerobes: Can’t use

oxygen, but tolerate its presence. Can
break down toxic forms of oxygen.
Microaerophiles: Require oxygen, but
at low concentrations. Sensitive to
toxic forms of oxygen.
BINARY FISSION MULTIPLE FISSION

BACTERIAL DIVISION

BUDDING SPORE PRODUCTION

Bacterial
Growth
Curve
 Period of little or no cell division
Can last for 1 hour or several days

Lag Phase Cells are not dormant

Undergoing a period of intense
metabolic activity : DNA and
enzyme synthesis
 Period of growth also known as
logarithmic increase

Exponential
Sometimes called as log phase
Cellular respiration is most active
during this period
Phase Metabolic activity is active and is
most preferable for industrial
purposes
Sensitive to adverse conditions
 Population size begins to stabilize.

Stationary
Number of cells produced =
Number of cells dying
Overall cell number does not
Phase increase.
Cell division begins to slow down.
 Population size begins to
decrease.
Number of cells dying > Number

Death of cells produced

Cell number decreases at a

Phase logarithmic rate.

Cells lose their ability to divide.
A few cells may remain alive for a
long period of time.
Generation Time
Time required for a cell to divide,
and its population to double.

Average for bacteria is 1-3 hours

E. coli generation time = 18-20 min
20 generations (7 hours), 1 cell becomes 1 million
cells!
Thank you!

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