Biology/Bacteria in broth
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Question
Dear Florence,
I've been reading some of the old questions and answers in your pages. I've always had a weird Q while working with bacteria. rebuke me if my Q is silly! everyone knows that bacteria grow very well in liquid nutrient medium kept on a rotating shaker, at quite speedy speeds. how do the cells manage to divide and function well when they're being tossed about in the broth?? You wouldn't be able to do anything, let alone reproduce, if someone was tossing you about or swinging you in the air, right?!
One of my friends suggested(on a lighter note) that maybe since the bacteria are always subject to Brownian movements in natural environments,they've got used to being tossed around in the shaking liquid. Could this really be the answer?
Thanks!
Windy
Hi again, Windy: I often say to my students that there are no stupid questions, only the ones you don't ask. I never laugh at student questions, because I want them to keep asking!
So, it's not a weird question.....
However, it's one I've never thought about. Now that I'm thinking about it, let's make some assumptions.
One, bacteria reproduce by binary fission, so that won't be a problem in a shaking environment.
Two, bacteria have a hard outer cell wall (peptidoglycan) that will protect them from injury.
Three, we don't shake them very fast.
Does that answer your question?
Write back if you have more questions.
FM Rollwagen, PhD
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| Comment | Ah! thanks, florence. yes, that cell wall is quite hard.yet, I thought, in a small conical flask, they divide well at quite high speeds(than when stationary). mayb the access to nutrients is also far better when being shaken. am i right? But it's tough to comprehend how they can manage when literally being stirred about in the liquid. it'd be like a whirlpool, sort of. maybe we have to be bacteria to really understand it! Havanysday! | ||
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Answers by Expert:
Florence M Rollwagen
Expertise
I can answer questions in biology, microbiology and immunology on the undergraduate or graduate level. I can also address medical and health concerns regarding alternative medicine, autoimmune diseases (lupus, MS) liver disease and intestinal problems.
Experience
I have over 20 years experience in research and teaching at the medical/graduate level, and 5 years teaching college biology and microbiology. My expertise is in microbiology and immunology, specifically the biology of cytokines and soluble immune response modifiers. I also carried out original research in blood substitutes and shock/trauma.
Organizations
American Association of Immunologists (AAI)
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Publications
Journal of Experimental Medicine, Journal of Immunology, Cytokine, Shock, Experimental Hematology
Education/Credentials
BS biology 1966
MS biology 1968
PhD immunology 1979
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