Growth temperature
Every microorganism has a minimum and maximum tolerable temperature. There are three critical temperatures for microorganisms that are generally determined by the temperature at which the microorganism’s enzyme function. Those three critical temperatures (also called cardinal temperature) are as follows:
- Minimum growth temperature: the lowest temperature where cells can still divide
- Maximum growth temperature: the highest temperature where cells can still divide
- Optimum growth temperature: the temperature where cells divide most rapidly
Figure 1: Effect of temperature on microbial growth.
Temperature profoundly influences cell growth. Initially, rising temperature enhances growth until reaching the optimal level, beyond which growth declines significantly, ultimately reaching the maximum temperature. Temperature impacts enzyme activity and cell component rigidity. Higher temperatures accelerate enzymatic reactions, promoting faster growth. However, above the optimum, cell components suffer damage, leading to irreversible harm and cell death. Near the minimum temperature, growth slows, possibly due to the stiffening of the cytoplasmic membrane, hampering cell transportation functions. Industrial Yeast cells used in industrial applications are generally grown in the range of
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