Chapter 5.7 Continuous Culture

Question 1

What is a open-system microbial culture of mixed volume called?

Answer 1

Continuous Culture

Question 2

What is the most common type of continuous culture device called?

Answer 2

Chemostat

Question 3

What is the rate at which fresh medium is pumped in and spent medium is pumped out?

Answer 3

Dilution Rate

Question 4

In a Chemostat the growth rate is controlled by what? The growth yield is controlled by?

Answer 4

Dilution Rate

Concentration of limiting nutrient

Question 5

In a batch culture, growth conditions are constantly changing, is it possible to control both control parameters?

Answer 5

No

Question 6

Chemostat cultures are sensitive to what two factors?

Answer 6

Dilution Rate and Limiting Nutrient Concentration

• At too high a dilution rate, the organism is washed out
• At too low a dilution rate, the cells may die from
starvation
• Increasing concentration of a limiting nutrient results in
greater biomass but same growth rate