Bacteria can live in hotter and colder temperatures than humans, but they do best in a warm, moist, protein-rich environment that is pH neutral or slightly acidic. There are exceptions, however. Some bacteria thrive in extreme heat or cold, while others can survive under highly acidic or extremely salty conditions.
FOOD-MOISTURE-TIME-TEMPERATURE-OXYGEN
All bacteria need is food and moisture to survive. Time; we know is needed, to allow them to multiply. The temperature has to be right for the specific type of bacteria, but most like temperatures within what we call the 'danger zone'.
FATTOM is an acronym used to describe the conditions necessary for bacterial growth: Food, acidity, time, temperature, oxygen, and moisture.
Food: Bacteria require food to survive. For this reason, moist, protein-rich foods are good potential sources of bacterial growth. Acid: Bacteria do not grow in acidic environments. This is why acidic foods like lemon juice and vinegar do not support the growth of bacteria and can be used as preservatives.
Bacteria are like all living organisms, they need to eat for energy and growth. But what do bacteria eat? Well, many bacteria eat starches and sugars which can be found on more or less all organic matter.
Whereas essentially all eukaryotic organisms require oxygen to thrive, many species of bacteria can grow under anaerobic conditions. Bacteria that require oxygen to grow are called obligate aerobic bacteria.
Aerobic bacteria thrive in the presence of oxygen and require it for their continued growth and existence. Other bacteria are anaerobic, and cannot tolerate gaseous oxygen, such as those bacteria which live in deep underwater sediments, or those which cause bacterial food poisoning.
Like all other organisms, bacteria need water to survive, but the surfaces of leaves experience daily changes in moisture, tending to be much wetter at night than during the day.
Bacteria need food to grow, just like we do. So if you have food, you could also have bacterial growth. Bacteria enjoy foods that are neutral to slightly acidic. They will not grow in highly acidic foods like lemons and vinegars, but will grow well in vegetables, meat and some fruits.
Bacteria only need light to survive if they are photosynthetic. The effect that a light will have on a bacteria will depend on the wavelength of the light, the bacteria's sensitivity to the wavelength and the effect that the light has on its environment.
Numerous strategies exist in bacteria to cope with stressful conditions including the formation of cysts and spores, changes in cellular membranes, expression of repair enzymes for damage, synthesis of molecules for relieving stresses, and so forth (38).
Microbes, like bacteria and fungi, depend on soil for their homes-but it's not all bad! These microbes decompose organic matter in the soil, returning nutrients to the soil that plants can use. They aid in the weathering of rocks and minerals which release important nutrients for plant growth.
Bacteria, on the other hand, are living organisms that consist of single cell that can generate energy, make its own food, move, and reproduce (typically by binary fission). This allows bacteria to live in many places—soil, water, plants, and the human body—and serve many purposes.
The most influential bacteria for life on Earth are found in the soil, sediments, and seas. The well-known functions of these are to provide nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus to plants as well as to produce growth hormones.
Bacteria are prokaryotic organisms that require nutrients and energy for their growth and development like other living organisms. They require carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, metals and water for their biochemical processes.
Bacteria can differ dramatically in their ability to utilize oxygen (O2). Under aerobic conditions, oxygen acts as the final electron acceptor for the electron transport chain located in the plasma membrane of prokaryotes. Bacteria use this process to generate ATP, the energy source for most cellular processes.
Water is essential for all living organisms. It functions as a solvent, a temperature buffer and a metabolite in living cells. Unlike animals, plants and microorganisms rely largely on their immediate surroundings for water.
Upon exposure to light, a photosensitizer in bacteria can generate singlet oxygen, which oxidizes proteins or lipids, leading to bacteria death.
When oxygen concentrations dip below a certain level, bacteria should switch over to other forms of respiration, such as using nitrogen instead of oxygen to fuel their metabolic processes.
Bacteria in the natural environment are often found under nutrient-limiting conditions. To survive prolonged periods of starvation, many bacteria have developed starvation-survival strategies enabling them to persist in the environment until conditions become favorable for growth.
Bleach solutions will be effective against bacteria, viruses, and fungi when properly diluted. Learn more about cleaning and disinfecting surfaces using bleach solutions.
To fuel growth and division, bacteria need to find their favorite food and be able to process (digest) it correctly. Like humans love to eat candies, one of the favorite food choices of bacteria is the simple sugar called glucose.