Following this reproduction process, we see that the number of individual bacteria doubles with each generation. The population explodes as the number of organisms increase logarithmically. This population boom begins soon after the bacteria is introduced into a favourable environment, after a short lag time when the bacteria becomes acclimatised.
Obviously this population cannot increase forever. At some point, the food source will be depleted, waste products will accumulate, or some other change in the environment will cause the population to level off or decrease (such as a change in pH, temperature, or oxygen level of the environment.) Also, introduction of any poisons into the environment may have negative effects on the population,as well as competition from other types of bacteria.
Bacteria can be classified into different types: aerobic types, (which require oxygen to live) and anaerobic (which can live without oxygen). Facultative types can thrive under both aerobic and anaerobic condition.
Bioremediation soil & water - London conference July 2007, applications & methods..
|