Microbial kinetics Flashcards
what does the term thermodynamics refer to
whether the reaction is possible - focusses on the start and end points of the reactions
what does the term kinetics refer to
how fast the reaction will occur
what do kinetics depend on
- depends on all the steps in hte reaction
- activation energy barriers
- temperature
- concentration of reactants and products
what does the growth rate of microbial populations essentially equal
the rates of metabolic reactions
what is the lag phase
when the cells are adjusting to new environments
what are the steps after the lag phase is a typical growth curve
the exponential, stationary and death phase
why is growth exponential
microbes grow by cell division
what does generation time =
doubling time
what limits growth
- lack of substrate or essential nutrients
- build-up of waste
- changing environmental conditions
- predation
what do psychophiles like
cold conditions
what do mesophiles like
moderate temperature conditions
what do thermophiles like
hot environments
what affects growth rates
salinity
pressure
pH
O2
temperature
nutrient availability
substrate (C or energy source)
what is the yield coefficient
mass of new cells/mass of substrate consumed
specific growth rate
mass of cells produced/original mass of cells*time
