Factors affecting microbial growth

Factors affecting microbial growth

1. pH
2. Moisture
3. Nutrient Content
4. Oxygen
5. Light
 pH
• Most spoilage bacteria
grow best near neutral pH
•  Pathogenic bacteria even
more narrow in tolerance
range of near neutral
•  Yeast and moulds have
much greater tolerance to
acidic (lower) pH
 pH
• The optimum pH range is
usually quite narrow so
that small changes in the
pH can have large effects
on the growth rate of the
organism
 pH
Effects of acids on organisms
• energy required to maintain cell's internal pH
• enzyme activity affected
• proteins, DNA, other molecules denatured
• longer lag, less rapid growth
 Moisture
• Microbes must have a
supply of of water
available
• Bacteria most restricted,
then yeasts, then moulds
• Organisms tolerant of low
water levels:
– halophilic bacteria
osmophilic yeasts
– xerophilic molds
 Moisture
• Effects of low water
levels
– longer lag, slower growth
– impaired transport
– loss of membrane fluidity
 Nutrient content
• Required by all
organisms: water, carbon,
nitrogen, minerals
• Organic growth factors
needed to varying
degrees:
– Gram + > Gram - > yeasts
> moulds
 Nutrient content
• How easily are energy sources metabolized?
– sugar > alcohol > amino acids > complex molecules
• How easily are nitrogen sources metabolized?
– amino acids > proteins
– B vitamins required by many bacteria
 Oxygen
• Obligate aerobes, e.g.
Mycobacterium, will
grow only in presence of
free oxygen
 Oxygen
• Facultative anaerobes,
e.g. Saccharomyces
(yeast) will grow in the
absence of oxygen, but
more slowly than if
oxygen were present.
 Oxygen
• Obligate anaerobes, e.g.
Clostridium will grow
only in absence of oxygen
which is toxic to them
 Light
• Essential for photoautotrophs.
• As well as its intensity its wavelength may be
significant.