![](/olcweb/styles/shared/spacer.gif) | ![](/sites/dl/free/0072320427/title/cover_image.JPG) Foundations in Microbiology, 4/e Kathleen Park Talaro,
Pasadena City College Arthur Talaro
Elements of Microbial Nutrition, Ecology and Growth
Chapter Overview- Microbes exist in every known natural habitat on earth.
- Microbes show enormous capacity to adapt to environmental factors.
- Factors that have the greatest impact on microbes are nutrients, temperature, pH, amount of available water, atmospheric gases, light, pressure, and other organisms.
- Nutrition involves absorbing required chemicals from the environment for use in metabolism.
- Autotrophs can exist solely on inorganic nutrients, while heterotrophs require both inorganic and organic nutrients.
- Energy sources for microbes may come from light or chemicals.
- Temperature adaptations may be at cold, moderate, and hot temperatures.
- Oxygen and carbon dioxide are primary gases used in metabolism.
- Transport of materials by cells involves movement by passive or active mechanisms across the cell membrane.
- The water content of the cell versus its environment dictates the osmotic adaptations of cells.
- Microbes interact in a variety of ways with one another and with other organisms that share their habitats.
- The pattern of population growth in simple microbes is to double the number of cells in each generation.
- Growth rate is limited by lack of nutrients and buildup of waste products.
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