Final answer:
C) controlling the amount of a limiting nutrient. Microbial growth rates in a chemostat are controlled by regulating the amount of a limiting nutrient, ensuring an equilibrium that facilitates the logarithmic phase of growth.
Step-by-step explanation:
In a chemostat, microbial growth rates are controlled by C) controlling the amount of a limiting nutrient. This continuous culture system allows nutrients to be supplied at a steady rate and bacterial suspension to be removed at the same rate as nutrients flow in, maintaining the culture in the logarithmic phase of growth. Waste products and dead cells are effectively diluted, which prevents them from accumulating and inhibiting growth. It is also important to maintain suitable oxygen levels if aerobic bacteria are being cultivated. The chemostat ensures that optimal growth conditions are sustained by adjusting the addition and removal of fluids, effectively managing the limiting factors that dictate microbial growth.
In a chemostat, microbial growth rates are controlled by controlling the amount of a limiting nutrient.
A chemostat is a culture vessel that maintains a continuous culture by supplying nutrients at a steady rate. The addition and removal of fluids in a chemostat are adjusted to maintain the microbial culture in the logarithmic phase of growth. By controlling the amount of a limiting nutrient, the growth rate of the microbial population can be regulated.