Bacterial morphology ,growth and growth requirement

Dr. Najah Rashid

PhD Microbiology
 Main groups of bacteria

• I Gram-positive cocci, bacilli and branching bacteria

• II Gram-negative cocci, bacilli and comma shaped bacteria
• III Spiral-shaped bacteria
• IV Acid-fast bacteria
• V Cell-wall-deficient bacteria ( Some bacteria do not form
cell walls and are called mycoplasmas.)
 Bacterial growth
Bacterial growth defined as defined as an increase in the number of bacteria in a

population rather than in the size of individual cells. in a process called binary fission.

Forms of growth:

1.Development of colonies

2.Transformation of a clear broth to a turbid one

3.Biofilm formation
 Bacterial growth
• Binary fission :is the division of a single entity into two or more parts and the
regeneration of those parts to separate entities resembling the original.
 Generation time

• Generation (doubling) time : The time for a cell to divide

• •Between 13 min for vibrio cholerae and 18-24 h for M. tuberculosis
 Growth phases in broth culture
• 1 Lag phase (A): the interval between inoculation of a fresh growth medium
with bacteria and the commencement of growth;

2 Log phase (B): the phase of exponential growth; the growth medium becomes
visibly turbid atapproximately 1_106 cells/ml;
3 Stationary phase (C): the growth rate slows as nutrients
become exhausted, waste products
accumulate, and the rate of cell division equals the rate of
death; the total viable count remains relatively constant;

4 Decline phase (D): the rate of bacterial division is slower

than the rate of death, resulting in adecline in the total
viable count.
Bacterial growth curve
 Growth requirements

• Nutrition-
• It is a process by which, chemical substances called as nutrients, are obtained from surrounding
environment & used for metabolic activity and growth of the cell.
• Optimum nutritional requirements for growth of bacteria include .
1. Water (is constitute 80% of total weight)
2. Source of carbon
3. Source of nitrogen
4. Inorganic salts
5. Growth factors
6. Source of energy
 Source of carbon
• All clinically important bacteria are heterotrophs
that is, they require organic carbon for growth.

• autotrophs
• Organisms that can reduce carbon dioxide and, therefore, do not require
organic compounds for cell growth. Require it in various organic form e.g.
glucose, amino acids, nucleotides, lipids.
• In organic salts
• In organic salts are required for osmotic regulation
• Are essential for certain enzyme systems.
• The anions- phosphate & sulphate
• The cations- sodium, potassium, magnesium, iron, calcium,
manganese.
 • Moisture & dessication
• CO2
Environmental • O2 requirement
factors • Temperature
affecting
growth of • pH
bacteria • Light
• Osmotic effect
• Mechanical & sonic stress
 Moisture : Moisture is an absolute requirment for growth. Therefore
drying is lethal to cells
CO2: It is obtained either from environment or produced
endogeneously . A few bacteria require additional CO2(5-10%) for their
growth e.g. Brucella abortus, Neisseria, pneumococci.
 Atmospheric conditions

• Carbon dioxide
• Bacteria require CO2 for growth; adequate amounts are present in the air or
are produced during metabolism by the microorganisms themselves
• Oxygen requirements
• Bacteria can be categorized according to their growth responses in the
presence and absence of oxygen.
• Strict aerobes cannot survive in the absence of oxygen and produce energy
only by oxidative phosphorylation.
• Strict anaerobes generate energy by fermentation or by anaerobic
respiration and are killed in the presence of oxygen.
• Facultative anaerobes can grow in the absence of oxygen but
grow better in its presence.
• Aerotolerant anaerobes
• have mechanisms to protect themselves from oxygen (therefore,
being able to grow in its presence or absence) but do not use
oxygen in their metabolism.
• Microaerophiles
• require oxygen for their metabolism but cannot
• survive at atmospheric levels of oxygen.
 Physical requirements
• Temperature
• Most pathogenic bacteria grow best at 37 _C. However, the optimum temperature for
growth is occasionally higher
pH
Most pathogenic bacteria grow best at a slightly alkaline pH (pH 7.2–7.6).

• Light
• Bacteria grows well in dark
• They are sensitive to UV rays & other radiation.
 Chemical requirements
•Carbon
–Carbon is the structural backbone of all living matter
–Organic compounds
•Nitrogen, Sulfur, Phosphorus
–N2 and P required for synthesis of DNA and ATP
–N2 required for protein synthesis
•Trace Elements
–Needed for enzymatic functions
–Can be added to media to culture microbes
–Fe, Cu, Zn