Microbial Nutrition,
Ecology, and Growth
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display.
7.1 Microbial Nutrition
Nutrition: process by which chemical substances
(nutrients) are acquired from the environment and
used in cellular activities
Essential nutrients: must be provided to an
organism
Two categories of essential nutrients:
– Macronutrients: required in large quantities; play
principal roles in cell structure and metabolism
• Proteins, carbohydrates
– Micronutrients or trace elements: required in small
amounts; involved in enzyme function and maintenance
of protein structure
• Manganese, zinc, nickel
2
Figure 7.1 Environmental conditions that influence microbial adaptations
°C K
50 320
40 310
30 300
CO2
20 290
10 280
Nutrients 0
Plant 270
litter -10
260
-20
250
-30
Soil -40 240
microbes Soil community Aquatic microbes
Organic compounds 230
© Kathy Park Talaro
Nutrients are constantly being formed Complex communities of microbes exist in nearly every place on earth. The temperature of
by decomposition and synthesis and Microbes residing in these communities must associate physically and habitats varies to a
released into the environment. Many share the habitat, often establishing biofilms and other inter relationships. significant extent
inorganic nutrients originate from among all places
non-living environments such as the pH 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 on earth, and microbes
air, water, and bedrock. exist at most points
along this wide
temperature scale.
Acidic [H+] Neutral [OH–] Basic
(alkaline)
Acid Base
4
Chemical Analysis of Cell Contents
• 70% water
• Proteins
• 96% of cell is composed of 6 elements:
– Carbon
– Hydrogen
– Oxygen
– Phosphorous
– Sulfur
– Nitrogen
6
Growth Factors: Essential Organic Nutrients
7
Classification of Nutritional Types
8
Nutritional Categories
9
Autotrophs and Their Energy Sources
• Photoautotrophs – energy source is sunlight
– Oxygenic photosynthesis
– Anoxygenic photosynthesis
• Chemoautotrophs (lithoautotrophs) – energy source is
inorganic substances, such as hydrogen sulfide
• Methanogens, a kind of chemoautotroph, produce
methane gas under anaerobic conditions
10
© Kathy Park Talaro
Heterotrophs and Their Energy Sources
Figure 7.3 Extracellular Digestion in Bacteria and Fungi
– Saprobes: free-living
Enzymes
• Opportunistic pathogen
• Facultative parasite
– Parasites: derive nutrients from (c) Enzymes hydrolyze the bonds on nutrients.
host
• Pathogens
• Some are obligate parasites 11
(d) Smaller molecules are transported across the
wall and cell membrane into the cytoplasm.
7.3 Environmental Factors That Influence Microbes
12
Adaptations to Temperature
13
Three Temperature Adaptation Groups
Psychrophiles – optimum temperature below 15oC; capable of
growth at 0oC
Mesophiles – optimum temperature 20o-40oC; most human
pathogens
Thermophiles – optimum temperature greater than 45oC
Minimum Maximum
-15-10 -5 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 14
Temperature °C
Gas Requirements
Oxygen
• As oxygen is utilized it is transformed into
several toxic products:
– Singlet oxygen (1O2), superoxide ion (O2-), peroxide
(H2O2), and hydroxyl radicals (OH-)
• Most cells have developed enzymes that
neutralize these chemicals:
– Superoxide dismutase, catalase
• If a microbe is not capable of dealing with toxic
oxygen, it is forced to live in oxygen free habitats
15
Categories of Oxygen Requirement
• Aerobe – utilizes oxygen and can detoxify it
• Obligate aerobe – cannot grow without oxygen
• Facultative anaerobe – utilizes oxygen but can
also grow in its absence
• Microaerophilic – requires only a small amount
of oxygen
• Anaerobe – does not utilize oxygen
• Obligate anaerobe – lacks the enzymes to
detoxify oxygen so cannot survive in an oxygen
environment
• Aerotolerant anaerobes – do not utilize oxygen
but can survive and grow in its presence
16
Culturing by Oxygen Requirement
Figure 7.12 Growth medium to determine oxygen
requirements. +O2 -O2 usage by bacteria
18
Courtesy and © Becton, Dickinson and Company
Effects of pH
• Majority of microorganisms grow at a pH between
6 and 8 (neutrophiles)
• Acidophiles – grow at extreme acid pH
• Alkalinophiles – grow at extreme alkaline pH
19
Osmotic Pressure
• Most microbes exist under hypotonic or isotonic
conditions
• Halophiles – require a high concentration of salt
• Osmotolerant – do not require high
concentration of solute but can tolerate it when it
occurs
20
Miscellaneous Environmental Factors
21
7.4 Ecological Associations Among Microorganisms
Microbial Associations
Symbiotic Nonsymbiotic
22
Ecological Associations
Staphylococcus Haemophilus
live together in a close aureus
growth
satellite
colonies
partnership
– Mutualism: obligatory,
dependent; both
members benefit
– Commensalism:
commensal member © Science VU/Fred Marsik/Visuals Unlimited
23
Interrelationships Between Microbes and Humans
24
Microbial Biofilms – A Meeting Ground
25
Figure 7.14 Biofilm Formation and Quorum Sensing
Quorum-dependent
proteins
Chromosome
Inducer
1 molecule
5
4
Matrix 3
27
The Basis of Population Growth: Binary Fission
Figure 7.15
1 A young cell at early phase of cycle
Log of 3000
( ) number Number
2500 of cells ( )
of cells
using the 11 2000
power 1500
of 2
10 1000
9 500
0 0
(b) Time
Number 1 2 4 8 16 32
of cells
Number of
1 2 3 4 5
generations
Exponential 21 22 23 24 25
value (21) (22) (222) (2222) (22222) 29
(a)
Determinants of Population Growth
The Viable Plate Count: Batch Culture Method
Flask inoculated
60 min 120 min 180 min 240 min 300 min 360 min 420 min 480 min 540 min 600 min
0.1
500 ml ml
Sample is
diluted in
liquid agar
medium
and poured
or spread
over surface
of solidified
medium
Plates are
incubated, None
colonies
are counted
Number of
colonies (CFU) <1* 2 4 7 13 23 45 80 135 230
per 0.1 ml
Total estimated
cell population <10,000 5,000 20,000 35,000 65,000 115,000 225,000 400,000 675,000 1,150,000
in flask
*Only means that too few cells are present to be assayed.
Figure 7.18 The Population Growth Curve
In laboratory studies, populations typically display a
predictable pattern over time – growth curve
Stages in the normal growth curve:
1. Lag phase – “flat” period of adjustment, enlargement;
little growth
10
Stationary phase
9
8
Logrithm (10n) of Viable Cells
7
6
5
4 The final
outcome
varies with
3 the culture.
0
5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Hours
Total cells in population, live and dead, at each phase
31
Few cells Live cells Dead cells (not part of count)
The Population Growth Curve
Stages in the normal growth curve:
1. Lag phase
2. Exponential growth phase – a period of maximum
growth will continue as long as cells have adequate
nutrients and a favorable environment
10
Stationary phase
9
8
Logrithm (10n) of Viable Cells
7
6
5
4 The final
outcome
varies with
3 the culture.
0
5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Hours
Total cells in population, live and dead, at each phase
32
Few cells Live cells Dead cells (not part of count)
The Population Growth Curve
Stages in the normal growth curve:
1. Lag phase
2. Exponential growth phase
3. Stationary phase – rate of cell growth equals rate of cell
death caused by depleted nutrients and O2, excretion of
organic acids and pollutants
10
Stationary phase
9
8
Logrithm (10n) of Viable Cells
7
6
5
4 The final
outcome
varies with
3 the culture.
0
5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
7
6
5
4 The final
outcome
varies with
3 the culture.
0
5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Figure 7.19
Percent of light
transmitted
(1)
T ~ A or T ~ A 35