Reproduction and growth in

bacteria

By: Hafiza Asfa Shafique

Microbiology
BS Biotechnology V
 Reproduction
• Reproduction is one of the most
important concepts in biology, it
means making a copy, or a
likeness, and thereby providing
for the continued existence of
species. In simple words
reproduction is a process by
which organisms replicate
themselves.
 Types of reproduction
1. Asexual reproduction: A type of reproduction which does not involve
the fusion of gametes and can occur with only one parent involved as
well.
• For Example – Binary Fission, Budding & Vegetative Propagation.
2. Sexual reproduction: This is characterized by the fusion of male and
female gametes. This type of reproduction requires the involvement of
both the parents.
• For Example - Pollination
 Types of asexual reproduction
1. Binary fission
2. Fragmentation
3. Budding
4. Spore formation
 1. Binary fission
• Simplest type of asexual reproduction.
• Binary Fission involves a one celled organism (one parent).
• Binary Fission produces new daughter cells (identical to parent cell).
• Binary Fission begins with DNA but doesn’t exchange genetic info.
• During binary fission, the single DNA molecule replicates and both copies attach to the
cell membrane.
• The cell membrane begins to grow between the two DNA molecules.
• A cell wall then forms between the two DNA molecules dividing the original cell into
two identical daughter cells.
• Each daughter cell eventually separates and grows into full size.
• DAUGHTER CELLS: Cell resulting from the replication and division of a single parent cell.
Binary Fission in bacteria
 Bacterial doubling time/ generation time
• The time of reproduction depends on how desirable the conditions
are
• One bacterium could be an ancestor to one million bacteria in six
hours.
• In ideal conditions, doubling time of bacteria is 20 minutes.
 Escherichia coli 20 minutes
 Mycobacterium tuberculosis 18 hours
 Mycobacterium leprae 14 days
 2. Fragmentation
• Mostly during unfavorable conditions
bacterial protoplasm undergoes
compartmentalization and subsequent
fragmentation, forming minute bodies called
gonidia.
• under favorable conditions, each gonidium
grows to a new bacterium it becomes
apparent that prior to fragmentation the
bacterial genome has to undergo repeated
replication so that each fragmment gets a
copy of it.
 3. Budding
• A group of environmental bacteria reproduces
by budding.
• In this process a small bud forms at one end of
the mother cell or on filaments called
prosthecae.
• As growth proceeds, the size of the mother cell
remains about constant, but the bud enlarges.
• When the bud is about the same size as the
mother cell, it separates.
• This type of reproduction is analogous to that
in budding fungi, such as brewer’s yeast
(Saccharomyces cerevisiae).
 4. Spore formation
• Spores contain a DNA and a small amount cytoplasm.
• Species of the genus Streptomyces and related bacteria produce many spores per organism
by developing cross walls at the hyphal tips: each spores gives rise to new organism.
• Endospore are resting spores formed in some gram positive bacteria { Bacillus and
clostridium during unfavorable conditions.
• They are formed within the cells.
• During this process a part of the protoplast becomes concentrated around the chromosome.
• A hard resistant wall is secreted around it.
• The rest of the bacterial cell degenerates ; endospore are very resistant to extreme physical
conditions and chemicals.
• During favourable conditions the spore wall gets reputed and the mass gives rise to a new
bacterium.
 Sexual Reproduction
• Sexual reproduction occurs in the form of genetic recombination.
• There are three methods of genetic recombination:-
1. Transformation
2. Conjugation
3. Transduction
 1. Conjugation
• Some bacteria are capable of
transferring pieces of their
genes to other bacteria that
they come in contact with.
• During conjugation, one
bacterium connects itself to
another through a protein tube
structure called a pilus.
• Genes are transferred from
one bacterium to the other
through this tube.
 2. Transformation
• Some bacteria are capable of
taking up DNA from their
environment. These DNA
remnants most commonly
come from dead bacterial
cells. During transformation,
the bacterium binds the DNA
and transports it across the
bacterial cell membrane. The
new DNA is then incorporated
into the bacterial cell's DNA.
 3. Transduction
• is a type of recombination that involves the exchanging of bacterial DNA
through bacteriophages.
• Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria.
• There are two types of transduction: generalized and specialized transduction.
• During the assembling process however, some of the host's bacterial DNA may
become encased in the viral capsid instead of the viral genome.
• When this bacteriophage infects another bacterium, it injects the DNA
fragment from the previous bacterium.
• This DNA fragment then becomes inserted into the DNA of the new bacterium.
This type of transduction is called generalized transduction.
Transduction
Growth of bacteria
• Growth – increase in cellular constitution
• Growth involves:
1. Entrance of basic nutrients into the cell
2. Conversion of nutrient components
3. Replication of chromosomes
4. Increase in size and mass
• Stages are:
a. Lag phase
b. Log/Exponential phase
c. Stationary phase
d. Death or decline phase
 Growth curve
• When a few bacteria are inoculated into a liquid growth medium and
the population is counted at intervals, it is possible to plot a bacterial
growth curve that shows the growth of cells over time.
• There are four basic phases of growth:
1. the lag phase
2. Log phase
3. Stationary phase
4. death phase
Growth Curve
 1. The lag Phase
• For a while, the number of cells changes very little because the cells
do not immediately reproduce in a new medium.
• This period of little or no cell division is called the lag phase, and it
can last for 1 hour or several days. During this time, however, the cells
are not dormant.
• The microbial population is undergoing a period of intense metabolic
activity involving, in particular, synthesis of enzymes and various
molecules.
 2. The log Phase
• Eventually, the cells begin to divide and enter a period of growth, or
logarithmic increase, called the log phase, or exponential growth
phase.
• Cellular reproduction is most active during this period, and
generation time reaches a constant minimum.
• Because the generation time is constant, a logarithmic plot of growth
during the log phase is a straight line.
• The log phase is the time when cells are most active metabolically
and is preferred for industrial purposes where, for example, a product
needs to be produced efficiently.
 3. The Stationary Phase
• If exponential growth continues unchecked, startlingly large numbers of
cells could arise.
• For example, a single bacterium dividing every 20 minutes for only 25.5
hours can theoretically produce a population equivalent in weight to that
of an 80,OOO-ton aircraft carrier. In reality, this does not happen.
• Eventually, the growth rate slows, the number of microbial deaths
balances the number of new cells, and the population stabilizes. This
period of equilibrium is called the stationary phase.
• What causes exponential growth to stop is not always clear. The
exhaustion of nutrients, accumulation of waste products, and harmful
changes in pH may all playa role.
 4. The Death Phase
• Due to nutrient depletion or maybe due to build-up of toxic wastes,
the number of deaths eventually exceeds the number of new cells
formed, and the population enters the death phase, or logarithmic
decline phase.
• This phase continues until the population is diminished to a tiny
fraction of the number of cells in the previous phase or until the
population dies out entirely.
• Some species pass through the entire series of phases in only a few
days; others retain some surviving cells almost indefinitely.
 Measurement of growth
• Growth can be determined by numerous techniques based on one or
more of the following types of measurement:
1. Cell count: Directly by microscopy or by using an electronic particle
counter or indirectly by a colony count.
2. Cell mass: Directly by weighing or by a measurement of cell nitrogen
or indirectly by turbidity.
3. Cell activity: Indirectly by relating the degree of biochemical activity
to the size of the population.
The End..