Biology

    Microorganisms occupy a large quantity of space that is alloted for biological organisms here on Earth today and despite of their small size, the diversity of microorganisms that thrive on land, water, and air should never be undermined or even taken for granted (Abedon, 1999). The impacts of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, protists, and fungi, are of considerable significance to human life and to the entirety of biological processes, and such activity coupled with the fast rate of bacterial multiplication further increase the serious effects of microorganisms (Fox, 2010).

    Bacterial growth, as signified by the fast rate of bacterial multiplication, is influenced both by metabolic requirements and environmental factors (Fox, 2010). The goal of this paper is to discuss the similarities and differences between metabolic and environmental requirements with emphasis on the effects of environmental factors on growth of microorganisms. Particular microorganisms that will be the focus of this paper are bacteria and their specific growth criteria will also be discussed.


Discussion

    Growth of bacterial cells is determined by the increase in the number of cells and not by the increase of cell size and such alleviation of cell quantity is a function of the  division of individual cells which may be achieved through binary fission (Abedon, 1999). Consequently, maximum growth rate of bacterial cells will be achieved if they will be sustained with their metabolic nutritional factors and these are composed of the following carbon sources, nitrogen sources, sulfur and phosphorus sources, various trace elements (Abedon, 1999), oxygen requirements, temperature requirements, pH, and sugar sources (Fox, 2010). Furthermore, some microorganisms require the application of vitamins as well as other organic factors in order to achieve the optimal rate of multiplication and example of which are the fastidious microorganisms which require a complex profile of nutritional requirements which makes them to be hardly cultured inside the laboratory setting (Abedon, 1999).

      These aforementioned metabolic requirements are affected by a multitude of environmental factors (Tate, 1978). To further illustrate the effects of environmental factors on the growth of microorganisms, it will be necessary to look into the dimensions of Escherichia coli and the effects of certain environmental products on its development. A study suggested that the survival and longevity of E. coli in organic soils is supported by the high-moisture content and high-moisture holding capacity of the sewage (Tate, 1978). Also, the presence of additional substrate combination,glucose, NH4Cl, HCl, EDTA, and NaCl, that can be used for microbial metabolism in the organic soil setting provides an additional array of energy sources for the E. coli (Ponciano et al., 2005). This is shown in the rapid increase of bacterial sample from 1.1 x 105 from day 0 to 3.0 x 107 in day 10 (Tate, 1978). Hence, it can be said the the availability of additional elements in the environment promotes the rapid development of microorganisms in the natural setting. 

    Metabolic growth requirements of microorganisms, particularly bacteria, are influenced by factors of oxygen availability, temperature requirements, pH factors, and nutritional requirements. The presence of other complex combination of nutrients in the environmental setting corresponds to a subsequent increase or decrease in the rate of bacterial growth rate (Ponciano et al., 2005). The model organism used in this paper is the Escherichia coli  which is found to elicit subsequent alterations in time by which stationary phase is reached as affected by the combination of elements that is present in the environment (Ponciano et al., 2005). Therefore, the growth requirements of E. coli are affected by the presence of the metabolic nutrients and the combination of other nutritional factors in the environment.