Bacterial Growth Conditions (Edexcel IAL Biology)

How Bacterial Growth Can Affect Plants

Spec point — 4.10

• Bacteria are microscopic prokaryotes (meaning their cells do not contain a nucleus or membrane-bound organelles)

• Some may cause disease in both plants and animals

• Bacteria are often used in studies to test the antimicrobial properties of substances

  • Antimicrobial means that the substance will either kill microbes (i.e. bacteria) or prevent their growth

• In order to perform these investigations, it is important to create an environment with all the conditions necessary for bacterial growth to occur

• Bacteria require the following conditions to survive and reproduce:

  • They require nutrients, which provide them with the materials needed to grow and respire
  • Those that respire aerobically will need a sufficient supply of oxygen
  • The temperature and pH of the environment must not be too high or too low to allow enzymes that control metabolic processes to function optimally