Factors Affecting Growth of Microorganisms

So what if the egg salad sat out at room temperature for two hours!

Outline
What are microorganisms? Types of microorganisms Classifying bacteria Factors affecting bacterial growth

Microorganisms - What are they?

An organism that is too small to be seen with the naked eye

How big are microorganisms?

If bacteria were one cm long

A man would be 10.5 miles (17 km) tall

Types of Microorganisms
Parasites -multi- or uni-cellular organisms that require a host to survive
Protozoa - single-celled organisms that require a host to survive Viruses Fungi - non-living, non-cellular organisms that require a host to grow - single or multi-celled organisms such as mold or yeast

Bacteria - living, single-celled organisms

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The Good, the Bad, the Ugly

Good-Fermentative Microorganisms

Bad-Pathogens
Listeria monocytogenes

Ugly-Spoilage
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Characteristics of Parasites
Larger than bacteria
Uni- (ie., protozoa) or multi-cellular (ie., worms) Needs host to survive Can go through several developmental stages in life cycle

Some are beneficial to host

Characteristics of Protozoa
Larger than bacteria Unicellular May have structures for propulsion or movement Needs host to survive Can exist in environment or host 8 during its life cycle

Characteristics of Viruses
Smaller than bacteria DNA or RNA surrounded by protein coat Needs host to replicate but can survive outside of host

Characteristics of Molds
Larger than bacteria
Molds are commonly found in moist, nutrient-rich environments Grow by thread-like filaments called hyphae A tangled mass of hyphae is called a mycelium
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Characteristics of Molds
Reproduce by spores
Spores are easily spread by air or are carried on insects and animals

Basidiospores
www.asm.org

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Characteristics of Molds
Can produce mycotoxins Can produce antibiotics

www.dehs.umn.edu

Penicillium

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Characteristics of Molds
Involved in food spoilage Involved in food manufacture

www.sci.mus.mn.us

Bread mold

Blue cheese

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Characteristics of Yeasts
Larger than bacteria Usually egg-shaped Single-celled organisms Reproduce by budding
www.phys.ksu.edu/gene
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Budding yeast

Characteristics of Yeasts
Easily killed by heating at 58C (136F) for 15 minutes
Ferment sugars to alcohol and CO2 Several food uses

www. ars.usda.gov

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Characteristics of Bacteria
Largest group of microorganisms

Thousands of species
Some are pathogenic, others are harmless (fermentation, spoilage)

Salmonella enteriditis
www.usda.gov
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Characteristics of Bacteria
Spores

Some may produce spores to survive adverse conditions

Spores are particularly resistant to heat, drying, and chemicals

Spores can later Bacillus brevis with spores germinate and grow into CDC/Dr. William A. Clark active cells

Classification of Bacteria
According to cell shape
According to cell grouping According to ability retain specific stains

According to growth conditions

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Classifying Bacteria
According to cell shape

CDC/Janice Carr

Rods

CDC/Janice Carr

Cocci

www.asm.org

Spiral
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Classifying Bacteria
According to cell grouping

Enterococcus
CDC/Janice Carr

Pairs

Staphylococcus aureus
www.cellsalive.net

Clusters

Chains
www.asm.gov

Classifying Bacteria
According to ability to retain specific stains Gram Stain: Gram Positive Gram Negative
CDC/Dr. William A. Clark
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How Do Bacteria Grow?

Bacteria reproduce through binary fission:

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Bacteria Can Grow Rapidly to High Numbers

If bacteria divide every 20 minutes, it would take only 6 hours for 1 bacteria cell to become 1 million bacteria !

www.cellsalive.net

TIME IS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN MICROBIAL GROWTH!

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Bacterial Growth Curve

Stationary
Decline /Death

Log

Lag

Time
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What Affects Bacterial Growth?

Intrinsic Factors
Those that are integral to the food
Nutrient Content (food) Acidity (pH or TA) Water Activity (aw)

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What Affects Bacterial Growth?

Extrinsic Factors
Those that are external to the food (environmental)
Temperature Level of Oxygen

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Nutrients-Food
Food products (ie. meat, milk, fruit, vegetables, etc.) are high in nutrients proteins, carbohydrates, fat, phosphorus, minerals, and water Food products are an excellent source of nutrients to support microbial growth
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Measure of Acidity or pH

10

14

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Measure of Acidity or pH
Most foods are in the pH range of 5-7 Bacteria typically do not grow below pH 4.6 pH Range for growth in foods Bacteria 5 - 6 Yeasts 4 - 4.5 Molds < 4
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Water Activity (aw)

Measure of the free water available for growth

0.5

.75

1.0

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 aw =water activity

Water Activity

Unbound water available for microbial growth

aw affected by presence of solutes (salts, sugar bind water and therefore, unavailable for microbes)
decreasing aw=increase in lag phase and decrease bacterial
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Water Activity (aw)

Measure of the free water available for growth Scale = (no water) 0 to 1.0 (lots of water) Minimum aw for growth 0.90 0.87 0.70
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Bacteria Yeasts Molds

1701601501401301201101009080706050403020-

-60

Thermophiles
113-140F 43-54C

-50
-40

Mesophiles
68-113F 15-35C

-30
-20

Psychrotrophs
32-68F 0-7C

-10
-0

Degrees Fahrenheit

(oF)

Degrees Celsius

(oC)

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Tolerance to Oxygen
Aerobic Anaerobic Facultatively Anaerobic

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Summary
Microorganisms may be grouped as bacteria, protozoa, fungi, and viruses Microorganisms may be classified according to their physical characteristics or their growth conditions By changing growth conditions, bacteria may be controlled
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Test your knowledge:

What is a microorganism? What are the four stages of bacterial growth? What compounds, when added to foods, affect water activity? What is meant by anaerobic growth? What is the temperature danger zone? Bacteria grow best at____ pH. 36

Test your knowledge:

What are the four main types of microorganisms? What are five factors affecting microbial growth? What are examples of foods made by good microorganisms? What are examples of pathogens considered bad microorganisms? What are examples of ugly 37 microorganisms?