‭Growth and reproduction‬

‭Further information:‬‭Bacterial growth‬

‭Many bacteria reproduce through‬‭binary fission‬‭, which‬‭is compared to‬‭mitosis‬‭and‬‭meiosis‬‭in this‬

‭A culture of‬‭Salmonella‬

‭[111]‬
‭A colony of‬‭Escherichia coli‬

‭ nlike in multicellular organisms, increases in cell size (‬‭cell growth‬‭) and reproduction by‬‭cell‬
U
‭division‬‭are tightly linked in unicellular organisms.‬‭Bacteria grow to a fixed size and then‬
‭[112]‬
r‭ eproduce through‬‭binary fission‬‭, a form of‬‭asexual‬‭reproduction‬‭.‬ ‭Under optimal conditions,‬
‭bacteria can grow and divide extremely rapidly, and some bacterial populations can double as‬
 ‭[113]‬
‭ uickly as every 17 minutes.‬
q ‭In cell division, two identical‬‭clone‬‭daughter cells are produced.‬
‭Some bacteria, while still reproducing asexually, form more complex reproductive structures that‬
‭help disperse the newly formed daughter cells. Examples include fruiting body formation by‬
‭myxobacteria‬‭and aerial‬‭hyphae‬‭formation by‬‭Streptomyces‬‭species, or budding. Budding‬
‭[114]‬
‭involves a cell forming a protrusion that breaks away and produces a daughter cell.‬
‭[115]‬
I‭n the laboratory, bacteria are usually grown using solid or liquid media.‬ ‭Solid‬‭growth media‬‭,‬
‭such as‬‭agar plates‬‭, are used to‬‭isolate‬‭pure cultures‬‭of a bacterial strain. However, liquid growth‬
‭media are used when the measurement of growth or large volumes of cells are required. Growth‬
‭in stirred liquid media occurs as an even cell suspension, making the cultures easy to divide and‬
‭transfer, although isolating single bacteria from liquid media is difficult. The use of selective‬
‭media (media with specific nutrients added or deficient, or with antibiotics added) can help‬
‭[116]‬
‭identify specific organisms.‬
‭Most laboratory techniques for growing bacteria use high levels of nutrients to produce large‬
‭[115]‬
‭ mounts of cells cheaply and quickly.‬
a ‭However,‬‭in natural environments, nutrients are limited,‬
‭meaning that bacteria cannot continue to reproduce indefinitely. This nutrient limitation has led‬
‭the evolution of different growth strategies (see‬‭r/K selection theory‬‭). Some organisms can grow‬
‭extremely rapidly when nutrients become available, such as the formation of‬‭algal‬‭and‬
‭[117]‬
c‭ yanobacterial‬‭blooms that often occur in lakes during‬‭the summer.‬ ‭Other organisms have‬
‭adaptations to harsh environments, such as the production of multiple‬‭antibiotics‬‭by‬
‭[118]‬
‭ treptomyces that inhibit the growth of competing microorganisms.‬
S ‭In nature, many‬
‭organisms live in communities (e.g.,‬‭biofilms‬‭) that‬‭may allow for increased supply of nutrients and‬
‭[52]‬
‭protection from environmental stresses.‬ ‭These‬‭relationships can be essential for growth of a‬
‭[119]‬
‭particular organism or group of organisms (‬‭syntrophy‬‭).‬
‭ acterial growth‬‭follows four phases. When a population‬‭of bacteria first enter a high-nutrient‬
B
‭environment that allows growth, the cells need to adapt to their new environment. The first phase‬
‭of growth is the‬‭lag phase‬‭, a period of slow growth‬‭when the cells are adapting to the‬
‭high-nutrient environment and preparing for fast growth. The lag phase has high biosynthesis‬
‭[120]‬‭[121]‬
r‭ ates, as proteins necessary for rapid growth are produced.‬ ‭The second phase of growth‬
‭is the‬‭logarithmic phase‬‭, also known as the exponential‬‭phase. The log phase is marked by rapid‬
‭exponential growth‬‭. The rate at which cells grow during‬‭this phase is known as the‬‭growth rate‬
‭(‭k‬ ‬‭), and the time it takes the cells to double is‬‭known as the‬‭generation time‬‭(‬‭g‭)‬ . During log‬
‭phase, nutrients are metabolised at maximum speed until one of the nutrients is depleted and‬
‭starts limiting growth. The third phase of growth is the‬‭stationary phase‬‭and is caused by‬
‭depleted nutrients. The cells reduce their metabolic activity and consume non-essential cellular‬
‭proteins. The stationary phase is a transition from rapid growth to a stress response state and‬
‭there is increased‬‭expression of genes‬‭involved in‬‭DNA repair‬‭,‬‭antioxidant metabolism‬‭and‬
‭[122]‬
‭nutrient transport‬‭.‬ ‭The final phase is the‬‭death‬‭phase‬‭where the bacteria run out of nutrients‬
‭[123]‬
‭and die.‬