MICROBIAL GROWTH,NUTRITION,

AND GENETICS
MICROBIAL GROWTH
Measured by the increase in population, either
by measuring the increase in cell number or
the increase in overall mass.

BACTERIAL DIVISION
Bacteria and archaea can only reproduce asexually, but
eukaryotic microorganisms can reproduce either sexually
or asexually. Binary fission is the process of one cell
simply dividing into two. It is most commonly used in
archaea and bacteria, which are both prokaryotic
organisms. But it is also used in some eukaryotic protists.

BACTERIAL GROWTH CURVE

Lag Phase
- the cells are adapting to a new environment and
preparing for reproductive growth.
Log Phase
- Organisms are growing at the maximal possible
given their genetic potential the nature of the medium,
and the condition under which they are growing.
Stationary Phase
- The population growth rate decreases and the
curve becomes horizontal.
Death Phase
- Cells are dying at an exponential rate, which may
result from nutrient limitation and toxic waste
accumulation.

ENERGY SOURCE
Chemotrophs - Gains energy from light.
Phototrophs - Gains energy from chemical compounds.
Autotrophic Bacteria - synthesize their own food from
inorganic substances (H2O, CO2, and H2S salts).
Heterotrophic Bacteria - obtain their-ready made food
from organic substances, living or dead.
The three main categories of chemohetrotrophs that differ in
how they obtain their organic nutrients are saprophytic
bacteria, parasitic bacteria, and symbiotic bacteria.
bacteria use to obtain new genes.
Horizontal Gene Transfer

TRANSFORMATION TRANSDUCTION CONJUGATION

H - Acquire DNA
from their
-Bacteriophages
move genes from
-Occurs when
bacteria directly

G surroundings. one
another.
cell to transfer genes
to another cell.