Black Chapter 6 – Growth and Culturing of Bacteria.docVIP

Black Chapter 6 – Growth and Culturing of Bacteria GROWTH AND CELL DIVISION Microbial Growth Defined Microbial growth can be defined as the orderly increase in quantity of a cell components and in the number of cells of an organism. Cell Division Most cell division in bacteria occur by binary fission, in which the nuclear body divides and the cell forms a transverse septum that separates the original cell into two cells. Doubling time is the period required for cells in a microbial population to grow, divide, and produce two new cells for each one that existed before. Growth rate is usually measured as doubling times per hour. The total number of bacteria is = 2n, n is how many times the bacteria has doubled. Incomplete separation of the cells produces linear chains (linked bacilli), tetrads (four cocci), sarcinae (groups of eight in a cubical packet), or grapelike clusters (staphylococci). Yeats cells and some bacteria divide by budding, in which a small, new cell develops from the surface of an existing cell. Phases of Growth In a nutrient-rich medium ( a mixture of substances on or in which microorganisms grow), bacteria divide rapidly. The length of time required for one division is called the generation time. Such growth is said to occur at an exponential , or logarithmic rate. Bacteria introduced into a fresh, nutrient-rich medium display four major phases of growth; (1) In the lag phase,the organisms are metabolically active – growing and synthesizing various substancesbut not increasing in number. (2). In the log phase, organisms divide at an exponential , or logarithmic, rate and with a constant generation time. Usually is 20 minutes, with 1/20 of the cells dividing each minute.-nonsynchronous growth. The formula is N = 2n, where N is the number of cells in the culture after n doubling times have passed. These properties of growth in the log phase can be used to calculate both the number of generations and the generation time. Cultures can be maintained