Exam II: Controlling Microbial Growth Flashcards
Bacterial growth means…
Increase in number of cells, not the size!
Bacterial growth depends on… (5 things)
Temperature, pH, osmotic pressure, oxygen, nutrients
Log phase cultures are most sensitive to…?
Growth inhibition
Define “generation time”
The time required for the cell to divide/population to double
Average bacteria generation time
1-3 hours
E. coli generation time
20 minutes
Define: Antisepsis
Reduction of # of microorganisms and viruses on LIVING tissue
Define: Aseptic
An environment or procedure free of pathogenic contaminants
Define: -cide / -cidal
Indicates kills/destruction of a type of microbe
Define: Degerming
Removal of microbes by mechanical means
Define: Disinfection
Destruction of most microorganisms and viruses on NON-LIVING tissue
Define: Pasteurization
Use of heat to destroy pathogens and reduce spoilage microorganisms in foods and beverages
Define: Sanitization
Removal of ENOUGH pathogens from objects to meet public health standards
Define: -stasis / -static
Indicates INHIBITION. Prevents growth of microbe (not a complete destruction)
Define: Sterilization
Destruction of ALL microorganisms and viruses in or on an object.
What factors affect how long it takes to kill bacteria? (4 things)
Number of microbes, Environment, Time of exposure, Characteristics of microbes
What environmental conditions slow the time to kill microbes?
Organic materials, Biofilm (such as feces, sewage, etc)
What environmental conditions speed up the time to kill microbes?
Prior cleaning, Heat
What microbe characteristics are most resistant to kill? (3 things)
Spores, Thick lipid coats, Protozoan cysts
What are the 3 actions of microbial control agents?
Alteration of membrane permeability, Damage to proteins and nucleic acids prevents functions of proteins and enzymes, Mutation/messing up the DNA to make non functional proteins
Define: Thermal Death Time
How long it takes to kill a certain bacteria at a certain temperature
What is the time/temp for pasteurization, and what does it do?
63’C for 30 minutes. Lowers # of pathogens in food products that would be damaged by longer heating times
What is the time/temp for UHT sterilization, and what is a potential side effect of using this method?
140’C 1-3 seconds. It may cause the loss of nutritional value of the food product.
How does moist heat work to control microbes?
It coagulates proteins by denaturing (breaking hydrogen bonds).
How long do most pathogens need to boil to kill microbes?
10 minutes
How long does something need to boil to kill Hepatitis virus?
30 minutes
How long does it take for boiling to kill spores?
20 hours
How does an autoclave work?
Heat + pressure
What are the specifications for using an autoclave?
15 psi for 15 minutes at 121 ‘C
What temp/time is used for dry heat in an oven? When would you use dry heat?
170’C for 2 hours. When things cannot go into the autoclave, or would be damaged by steam/moisture
What is resistant to dry heat?
Spores
Low temperature: Refrigeration is….
Bacteriostatic