Growth and nutrition of bacteria

Nutrition
Process by which chemical substances ( nutrients) are acquired from the surrounding environment and used in cellular activities such as metabolism and growth

Bacterial growth
Mode of division of bacteria-Binary fission Optimal growth of bacteria - Suitable environment & nutrition Minimal nutrientsC,H,N,O,Inorganic salts Bacteria of medical importance derive nutrition from organic material

Essential nutrients
Macronutrients-Required in relatively large quantities and play principal role in cell structure and metabolism Micronutrients-Also called trace elements.Needed in small quantities for enzyme and pigment structure and function

Classification of bacteria
Autotrophs - Synthesise their essential metabolites from atmospheric CO2 & N2. Free living: Non parasitic; found in soil and water
Photoautotrophs - Derive energy from sunlight

Classification of bacteria ..
Chemoautotrophs Use inorganic compounds for oxidation Heterotrophs - Cannot synthesise their own metabolites.Require preformed organic compounds. Most are pathogenic and parasitic.Evolved with animal body environment where there is a ready and easy source of complex nutrients

Nutritional requirements of bacteria

Essential- C,N,O,H for carbohydrate,lipid,protein & nucleic acid P & S Elemental or complex form H & O- available in water C & N-From environment.(C needed in assimilable form) Carbohydrate- Principal source of carbon.Degraded by oxidation or fermentation.

Nutritional requirements ..
Nucleoprotein,Nucleic acids-Ammonium salt ; from environment or deamination of aminoacid Salts-K,Mg,Fe,P,& S Minimal quantity-Ca,Mn Trace-Co,Zn,chlorine,copper,nickel Sulphur & phosphorous-Part of coenzymes & cysteinyl & methionyl side chains of proteins Bacteria use sulphur & reduce it to H2S

Nutritional requirements.
Organic growth factorsThiamine, riboflavine, nicotinic acid, pyridoxin, folic acid, vitamin B12
Essential Exogenous supply required; Mutation in bacteria can result in failure of intake Accessory- X & V factors in H.influenzae.X is haemin & V is NAD

Oxygen requirement of bacteria

Aerobic-Grow well in normal atmospheric oxygen.Have enzymes needed to process toxic oxygen products Obligate aerobe-Cannot live without oxygen Eg. fungi, protozoa, bacillus sp Microaerophilic - Require small amount of oxygen.live in soil,water or tissues & not exposed to atmosphere Eg. Treponema, Actinomyces

Anaerobic bacteria
Anaerobe-do not grow in the presence of oxygen.have no enzymes to neutralise toxic oxygen products Obligate anaerobe-Killed in the presence of oxygen.Require special media for growth Eg. Clostridia, Bacteroides

Facultative anaerobe-Aerobic but capable of growing in the absence of oxygen. Have oxidative & fermentative capabilities. Eg. enteric bacilli, Staphylococcus

Oxygen and bacteria

Aerotolerant-Do not utilise oxygen but survive in its presence.Have mechanisms to break down peroxidases & superoxides. Eg. Lactobacilli, Peptostreptococci
Capnophiles - Grow at higher atmospheric CO2 tension.(10%). Need CO2 incubator or candle jar. Eg. Gonococci, Pneumococci

Moisture and dessication

Moisture is an absolute necessity for bacteria Sensitivity to drying varies with different species Highly sensitiveG.C , T.pallidum Resistant to dryingM.tb, S. aureus

Osmotic pressure
Cell wall renders stability to variations in osmotic pressure 0.5% sodium chloride suspension renders stability Rupture occurs due to cell wall rupture in hyperosmotic states

Hydrogen ion concentration

Bacteria require physiological pH(7.2-7.4) Acidophils -Acidic pH eg. Lactobacilli (3) Basophils - Alkaline ph (9) eg.V.cholera pH of growth medium keeps changing depending upon the utilisation of nutrients An optimal pH will last only for a short time in fermentative bacteria

Bacteria and temperature

Psychrophilic-Grow below 20C.Usually soil & water saprophytes Mesophilic-Grow below 25& 40C.Most are pathogenic bacteria Thermophilic-Grow below 55C & 80C. Eg. B.stearothermophilus

Light and bacteria

Most bacteria except phototrophs prefer to grow in dark Some produce pigment when grown in sunlight / darkness. Eg. Mycobacteria

Bacterial metabolism
Metabolism-Series of changes of a substance inside a cell. Absorption to elimination Catabolism-Breakdown of macromolecules into simpler products. Eg. ADP to ATP Enzyme dependent pathways (TCA etc) Anabolism-Basic building of cellular structures in monomers & polymers. Energy dependent process

Oxidation(aerobic respiration)
Removal of electron or H ion from substrate Conversion of ADP to ATP (oxidative phosphorylation) Executed by enzymes through metabolic pathways Hydrogen acceptor is oxygen Hydrogen donors are inorganic substances Enzyme of cell wall- cytochrome oxidase Glucose oxidised to CO2 and water H2O2 byproduct broken down by catalase & peroxidase

Fermentation (Anaerobic respiration )

Process of substrate phosphorylation Hydrogen acceptor is an organic ion like nitrate, sulphate or carbonate Glucose 6 phosphate + NAD = NADH+phosphate Glucose converted into lactic acid, ethanol and water

Effect of one bacteria on another

Symbiosis - S.aureus & H. influenzae AntagonismPseudomonas and Gonococci Colicins - Secretory substances that inhibit the growth of other species of bacteria

Nutrition uptake by bacteria

Most bacteria are capable of synthesizing macromolecules Eg. amino acids, purines Small molecules diffuse across cell membrane Nutrients in higher concentration in cells need energy dependent process for diffusion Macromolecules(sugars) diffuse slowly

OF test and OR potential

Hugh leifson test-Differentiates fermenters and oxidisers OR potential( Redox potential)-Measures the reducing capacity of a system.Potential difference between a given system and a hydrogen electrode.Assessed by dyes like methylene blue, litmus, resazurin Anaerobes require low redox potential

Bacterial growth
No obligatory life cycle Divide by binary fission when there is adequate nutrition and conducive environment Generation time/doubling time/replication time is the time required to complete one cell cycle

How fast do organisms grow?

Most viruses Escherichia coli Staphylococcus aureus Mycobacterium tuberculosis Mycobacterium leprae Treponema pallidum Plasmodium falciparum < 1 hour 30 mts 30 mts 24 hrs 10 to 30 days 30 hrs 8 hrs

Bacterial growth curve

Log phase Phase of rapid growth. Short duration with utilisation of nutrients. Best bacterial morphology & typical biochemical characters. Can be prolonged by continuous supply of nutrients as with chemostat & turbidostat

Lag phase Phase of adaptation Cause for missed bacteria in sampling

Bacterial growth curve

Stationary phase Decline in growth rate Increase in death rate Growth and cell division imbalanced Excretion of organic acids and biochemical products Total count static Decline in viable count

Decline phase Phase of death Depletion of water Accumulation of toxic end products Decline in total count of organisms Can be slowed down by refrigeration

Application of growth curve

Implication in microbial growth,infection,food microbiology and cultural technology Microbes in exponential phase are more susceptible to antibiotics,heat and disinfectants Microbes in exponential phase are far more virulent and viable Bacterial morphology,motility,biochemical characters and antigen demonstration best done in growth phase

Measurement of bacterial growth

Mass of cellular material Dry weight, packed cell volume, nitrogen content, turbidity as measured by calorimeter or spectrophotometer Cell numbers Total cell number by coulter counter Viable count by sub culture and counting the colonies

Products of bacterial growth

Toxins
Exotoxins and endotoxins

Extracellular enzymes Tissue degrading enzymes - Collagenase,

coagulase, haemolysin etc

Ig A protease Pigments
Localized and diffuse