Factors Affecting the Growth of Bacteria

Introduction
The growth of microorganisms is affected by nutrients limitations as well as by the physical and chemical nature of their surroundings. Some of the factors that influence the bacterial growth are listed as below:

(A)

Nutrition

1. Carbon Source
Organic carbon source is needed. It is used both in biosynthetic processes as well as generation of energy.

2. Nitrogen Source
Organic nitrogen is needed for the assembling of nucleic acid, proteins and other cell nutrients for energy production.

3. Inorganic Ions
Phosphate, Sulphate, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, Sodium, Calcium.

4. Essential Metabolites or Growth Factors

They play a vital role in the growth of microorganisms without which there is no question of growth, it must be provided. Many bacteria have lost the availability to synthesis one or more essential nutrients and so require its amino acids and vitamins.

(B)

Temperature
Since all the processes of growth are dependent on the chemical reactions and the rate of these reactions are influenced by temperature. Each species of bacteria grow at temperature within a certain range on this basis. Bacteria are divided into the following groups:

1. PSYCHROPHILES
They are able to grow at zero degrees centigrade. But they grow best at higher temperature closer to 15-20 C.

2. FACULTATIVE PSYCHROPHILES/ PSYCHROTROPHES

Many species can grow at 0-7 C. Even they have optimum temperature between 20-30 C.

3. MESOPHILES
Mesophiles grow best within a temperature range of approx. 25-40 C.

4. THERMOPHILES
They grow best at a temperature between 45-60 C.

5. HYPERTHERMOPHILES
A few thermophiles can grow at 90 C and some have maximum temperature up to 100 C.

(C)

Gaseous Requirement
The principle gases that affect bacterial growth are oxygen and carbon dioxide. Different bacterial species vary widely in their oxygen requirement.

1. OBLIGATE AEROBES
Requires oxygen to grow because their ATP generating system is dependent on oxygen as hydrogen exceptor.

Examples
Mycobacteria, some Bacilli.

2. FACULTATIVE ANEROBES
Utilized oxygen to generate energy by respiration, if it is present but can use fermentation pathway to synthesize ATP as the absence of sufficient oxygen.

Examples
Enteric bacteria, Stapphycocci.

3. OBLIGATE ANEROBES
Grow only at absence of oxygen.

Examples
Spirochete, Clostridia species.

4. MICROAEROPHILES
They require small amount of oxygen but cannot used it as final hydrogen acceptor and derived their energy from fermentation process.

Example
Most lactic acid bacteria, Streptococci.

5. CAPNOPHILES
Refer to the bacteria, that requires higher concentration of carbon dioxide for their growth.

Example
Streptococcus.

(D)

pH
Different bacterial species vary in their optimal pH range for growth cytoplasm of most of bacteria have a pH of 7.

1. NEUTROPHILES
It includes most of the bacteria, that grow best at 6-8 pH.

2. ACIDOPHILES
It includes lactobacillus having a pH of 4.

3. ALKALOPHILES
It includes vibrio species and grow best at pH 8.

(E)

Pressure
Many organisms spent their life on land or on the surface of water, always subjected to pressure of 1atm and are never affected significantly by pressure. On the basis of pressure tolerance, they are divided into following groups:

1. BAROTOLERANT
Increased pressure adversely affects them.

2. BAROPHILIC
They grow more rapidly at higher pressure.

(F)

Radiation
Sunlight is the major source of radiation on earth. It includes visible light, UV radiations, infra-red rays, and radio waves. A UV radiation kills all kinds of microorganisms due to short wavelength and high energy. Visible light is beneficial because it is the source of energy for photosynthesis.