The Physiology of Growth

The Bacteria, Volume IV: The Physiology of Growth focuses on the biochemical phenomena that are expressed at the level of the intact microbial cell and of the growing cell. This book explores the structure, metabolism, and biosynthesis of bacteria. Organized into nine chapters, this volume starts with an overview of the growth requirements, metabolic pathways, individual enzymes, and a variety of other components and functions of the bacterial cell. This text then analyzes the genetic organization of bacteria and explains the nuclear division in bacteria. Other chapters consider the effects of physical environment upon the growth of microorganisms. This book discusses as well the methods for obtaining bacterial cultures by manipulating environmental factors. The final chapter deals with chemotherapeutic drugs, which are valuable tools in the investigation of bacterial organization and function. Bacteriologists, microbiologists, biochemists, microbial physiologists, and cell physiologists interested in the study of bacteria will find this book extremely useful.

Contributors to Volume IV

Preface

Contents of Volume I

Contents of Volume II

Contents of Volume III

Contents of Volume V

1. Synchronous Growth

I. Introduction

II. Technical and Theoretical Problems

III. Synchronization Experiments: Methods, Applications, and Interpretations

References

2. Nutritional Requirements of Microorganisms

I. Introduction

II. Energy Sources for Microbial Growth

III. Nutritional Factors Utilized for Synthesis of Cell Materials

IV. Effect of Nutrition on Specialized Cellular Functions

V. Application of Knowledge of Microbial Nutrition

References

3. Ecology of Bacteria

I. Introduction

II. General Characteristics of Microbial Ecosystems

III. Criteria for Adequacy of Ecological Analyses

IV. Kinds of Bacteria in Nature

V. Identification of Activities in Habitats

VI. Quantitative Study of Bacterial Ecosystems

References

4. Exoenzymes

I. Introduction

II. Definitions: Theoretical and Operational

III. A Survey of Exoenzymes

IV. Surface Enzymes

V. Chemical and Physicochemical Properties

VI. Physiology of Formation

VII. Possible Mechanisms of Liberation

VIII. Conclusion and Summary

References

5. Permeation

I. Introduction

II. ß-Galactoside Permease in Escherichia coli

III. Galactose Permease in Escherichia coli

IV. Maltose Permease in Escherichia coli

V. Glucuronide Permease in Escherichia coli

VI. The Bacterial α-Glucoside Permease

VIL Amino Acid Permeases

VIII. Transport of Inorganic Ions

IX. Some Other Permeation Systems

X. Physiological Consequences and Significance of Permeases

XL Mechanism

References

6. Physiology of Sporulation

I. Introduction

II. Genetic Control of Sporulation

III. The Ontogeny of the Spore

IV. Induction of Sporulation

V. Influence of Oxygen

VI. Derivation of Spore Components

VII. Liberation of Spores from Vegetative Cells

VIII. Conclusion

References

7. Temperature Relationships

I. Temperature and the Rate of Chemical Reactions

II. The Effect of Temperature on the Rate of Bacterial Growth

III. Variation among Bacteria with Respect to Temperature Response

IV. The Effect of Temperature on the Composition of the Bacterial Cell

V. Temperature and Bacterial Nutrition

VI. Death of Bacteria at Temperature Extremes

References

8. Halophilism

I. Introduction

II. Occurrence of Halophilic Bacteria

III. The Halophilic Bacteria

IV. Effect of Salt on Nonhalophilic Bacteria

V. Physiological Characteristics of the Halophilic Bacteria

VI. Biochemical Characteristics of the Halophilic Bacteria

References

9. Antimicrobial Agents: Mechanism of Action and Use in Metabolic Studies

I. Introduction

II. Metabolite Analogs

III. Antibiotics

IV. Concluding Remarks

References

Author Index

Subject Index