Question

Three critical aspects of a description of bacterial growth are colony size, color, and shape. At least three other important factors—not physical descriptions—typically are included when describing bacterial growth. What do you suppose they are and why are they important?

Answer 1

Oxygen, temperature, metabolism

Step-by-step explanation:

Based on Oxygen: Microorganisms are grouped based on their oxygen requirement. This determines the kind of environment in which they can grow and thrive.

They could be:

• Aerobes: require oxygen
• Microaerobes: require little oxygen, less than atmospheric oxygen (<21%)
• Anaerobes: cannot survive in the presence of oxygen

Based on Temperature:

• psychrophiles: thrives in low temperatures (0-15 degree celsius)
• mesophiles: thrives at room temperature
• thermophiles: thrives at higher temperatures (>45 degree celsius)

Temperature determines the types of environment as well as the type of processes they can undergo, as enzymes are temperature sensitive.

Based on Metabolism:

• autotrophs: can make their own food
• heterotrophs: requires preformed nutrients

This determines the kind of substrates they can colonize, and the kind of host they can inhabit; whether they can make their own food or can be pathogenic.