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Bacteria Growth Requirements (Microbioligy)
Bacteria Growth Requirements (Microbioligy)
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Figure 1:
Lag phase: in this phase bacteria adapt themselves to growth
conditions. It is the period where the individual bacteria are
maturing and not yet able to divide.
Exponential phase: the number of new bacteria appearing per unit
time is proportional to the present population. This gives rise to the
classic exponential growth curve. Exponential growth cannot
continue indefinitely, however, because the medium is soon depleted
of nutrients.
Stationary phase: the growth rate slows as a result of nutrient
depletion. This phase is reached as the bacteria begin to exhaust the
resources that are available to them.
Death phase: bacteria run out of nutrients and die.
In reality, these phases are not so well defined, and the curve is
much more continuous.
Requirements for microbial growth are divided into two categories,
physical and chemical. Physical aspects include temperature, pH, and
osmotic pressure. Chemical requirements include water, sources of
carbon and nitrogen, minerals, oxygen, and organic growth factors.
2. Elemental requirements
Macro and micro or trace elements or nutrients; including but not
limited to: C, H, O, P, K, I, N, S, Ca, Fe, Mg
3. Miscellaneous growth factors
a. Vitamins: B1, biotin, pyroxidine (B6), B12, others may be needed
b. Amino Acids: get from protein digests; e.g. casein (milk protein),
peptone (meat protein).
c. Purines and Pyrimidines.
d. Heme.
Methods for measurement of the cell mass involve both direct and
indirect techniques:
1. Direct physical measurement of dry weight, wet weight, or volume
of cells after centrifugation.
2. Direct chemical measurement of some chemical component of the
cells such as total N, total protein, or total DNA content.
3. Indirect measurement of chemical activity such as rate of O2
production or consumption, CO2 production or consumption, etc.
4. Turbidity measurements employ a variety of instruments to
determine the amount of light scattered by a suspension of cells.
2- http://www.cellsalive.com/ecoli.htm
3- http://textbookofbacteriology.net/growth.html
4- http://www.angelfire.com/de/nestsite/micro7.html
5- http://microvet.arizona.edu