BIOLOGICAL ATTRIBUTES OF BACTERIA

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Sufficient food of the proper kind

Moisture
Temperature suitable for the species
Proper degree of alkalinity or acidity
Oxygen requirements
Light availability
Control of by-products of bacterial growth

Nutritional Requirements

Proteins 50% of bacterial cell

Fats

Carbohydrates determine important traits of

organism

Nitrogen 10%

Carbon

Growth factors

Mineral salts

Sources of energy

All bacteria derive their carbon and nitrogen

from organic matter except the saprophytes

Mineral salts calcium, phosphorus, iron,

magnesium, potassium and sodium
KINDS OF ORGANISMS ACCORDING TO WHERE
NOURSIHMENT IS OBTAINED
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6.

Saprophytes - from non-living organic matter

Parasites depend on living matter for sustenance
Facultative Saprophytes usually obtain nourishment
from living matter but may obtain it from dead
organic matter
Facultative Parasites usually obtain nourishment
from dead organic matter but may obtain it from
living matter
Heterotrophs/Organotrophs obtain their nutrients
by breaking down organic matter into simpler
chemical substances
Autotrophs/Lithotrophs obtain nutrients by building
the organic compounds in the protoplasm from the
simpler inorganic substances

Moisture

75-80% of bacterial cell is water

Needed to dissolve food materials in the

environment for them to be absorbed

Drying detrimental to bacterial growth

Temperature

Optimum Temperature best temperature for

growth

Minimum temperature lowest temperature at

which the species will grow

Maximum highest temperature at which

growth is possible

20C lowest temperature at which they can

multiply

42-45C highest temperature where bacteria

can multiply (mesophiles)

Thermophiles (heat-loving species) grow at

temperature above 45C or even higher

Psychrophiles / Cryophiles (cold-loving species)

grow at temperature just above the freezing
point (20C or less)
o Cold retards or stops bacterial growth
thus employed in the process of
refrigeration in order to prolong the
spoilage of food
PH

Alkalinity / acidity of the medium

Preferred pH between 6-8

Best pH for pathogens

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OXYGEN REQUIREMENTS
Aerobes grow in the presence of free atmospheric
oxygen
Obligate Aerobes cannot develop in the absence of
free pxygen
Anaerobes obtain their oxygen from oxygencontaining compounds (inorganic sulfates, nitrates,
carbonates or organic compounds)
Obligate Anaerobes organisms whose enzyme
systems are inactivated by atmospheric oxygen
Facultative Organisms adaptable either to the
presence or absence of atmospheric oxygen
Microaerophiles organisms that can grow even in
lowered oxygen content in the air
Capnophiles need 3-10% increase in carbon dioxide
content in the air to initiate development

LIGHT REQUIREMENTS
Some saprophytic species use light for autotrophic activity
1.
2.

Red / Yellow little bactericidal effect

Green less killing action

3.

Violet / Ultraviolet / Blue highly destructive to

bacteria

BY-PRODUCTS OF BACTERIAL GROWTH

Bacterial Metabolism

deplete food supply and release products that

inhibit further bacterial growth

Example: production of organic acids as in the

pickling industry
Electricity and Radioactive Energy

Electricity heat

Electric light inhibits bacterial growth

UV Light / Roentgen Rays harmful to bacteria

Chemicals

Destroy

Inhibit growth

Attracts/Repel positive or negative chemotaxis

Osmotic Pressure

Most bacteria resist small changes in osmotic

pressure

Killed or inhibited by high concentrations of salt

or sugar

Employed in food preservation

o Osmophiles prefer high salt content
classified as halophiles (salt-lovers) and
can tolerate high salt concentrations
BACTERIAL INTERRELATIONS
Symbiosis

Bacteria growing well together

Both parties are benefited

Synergistic relationship between staphylococci

and influenza bacilli

Legumes and Nitron-Fixing bacteria

o Nitrosomonas
o Nitrobacter
Antagonism

Presence of one organism inhibits the other due

to secretion of substances that may be toxic to
the other and one organism promotes a defense
mechanism against the other
MAJOR METABOLLIC ACTIVITIES
Enzymes

2000 to 3000 enzymes

Under the control of the DNA apparatus

BIO19: MICROBIOLOGY | MaeBecher

CHEMOSYNTHESIS
Processing of energy from the chemical alteration of
substances at hand
Bacterial Digestion

Hydrolases

Hydrolysis addition of water

Absorption

Diffusion

Active transport physiologic pumps

Oxidation

Preparing molecules for a possible bonding or

chemical combination

Starts with phosphorylation the addition of a

phosphate group which results in a very
significant chemical bonding
o Oxidases / Dehydrogenases /
Coenzymes Cytochrome System
o Transfer of Electrons oxidized
product and a reduced product and
energy liberated or trapped
CLASSES OF BIOLOGIC OXIDATION
Aerobic

Ultimate hydrogen acceptor is molecular oxygen

Anaerobic

Hydrogen acceptor is inorganic nitrate, sulfate or

carbonate
Fermentation

Hydrogen acceptor is an organic compound

Uses organic compounds as both donors and

electron acceptors
MEDICALLY RELATED ACTIVITIES
Toxin Production

Toxigenicity

Toxicity potency of toxins

Exotoxins

Proteins innature

Antigenic produces antitoxin

Specific causes one disease and nothing else

Anatoxins / Toxoids

Modified toxins that can no longer cause

diseases but can still produce immunity to the
disease
Endotoxins

Complex lipo-polysaccharide

Do not promote antitoxin formation

Non-specific
Cannot be converted into toxoids
Example: Salmonella typhi, Neisseria
meningitides

HARMFUL METABOLIC PRODUCTS

May not be directly toxic but related significantly to
disease
Hemolysins

Causes lysis of red blood cells

Two types of bacterial hemolysins

o Filtrable
o Those that are demonstrated about
the bacterial colony on a culture
medium containing red blood cells

Hemolysins are named after the bacteria that

give rise to them
o Staphylolysin
o Streptolysin
Leukocidins

Destroy polymoprhonuclear neutrophilic

leukocytes

Formed by pneumococci, streptococci and

staphylococci
Coagulase

Accelerate coagulation of blood

Exemplified by staphylococci

Coagulase test used to differentiate pathogenic

from non-pathogenic bacteria
Bacterial Kinases

Act on certain components of the blood to

liquefy fibrin

Interfere with blood coagulation

Example: Streptokinase / Fibrinolysin

o Produced by many hemolytic
streptococci
o Staphylococci and other bacteria
o Used to dissolve clots and to prevent
the formation of adhesions that would
be laid down on the fibrin precipitated
in the body cavities
Hyaluronidase

Make tissues more permeable to the bacteria

elaborating it

Produced by pneumococci and streptococci

Bacteriocins

Bacterial protein or polypeptide substances

produced by strains of a family of microbes
Colicins

Produced by the family enterobacteriaceae

Act on the bacterial membrane

OTHER EFFECTS
Pigment Production

Important in identification of organisms

Not related to disease production

Produced by both parasitic and saprophytic

bacteria

Examples:
o Staphylococcus aureus (gold)
o Pseudomonas aeruginosa (blue-green
pigment)
o Halobacterium halobium (red)
o Serratia marcescens (red)
Heat Production

Heating of damp hay

Light Production

Bioluminescence

Bacteria that live in water (salt)

Light producers are non-pathogenic

Odors

Due to decomposition of material where

bacteria is growing

BIO19: MICROBIOLOGY | MaeBecher