What do we know about bacterial death phase?

Discussion in 'Biology & Genetics' started by Eagle9, May 18, 2015.

  1. Eagle9 Registered Senior Member

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    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacterial_growth

    What do we know - why the bacteria actually die in the death phase? Some reasons are written there (for instance lack of nutrients), but can other reasons exist as well? For example can some toxins be generated that destroy bacteria?

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  3. origin Heading towards oblivion Valued Senior Member

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    Sure. For instance there are bacteria that consume sugar and produce ethanol (the same is true of some yeasts). If the ethanol level gets to high it will be lethal to the bacteria that are producing it.
     
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  5. wellwisher Banned Banned

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    Bacteria have way more DNA than do humans. Maybe too much DNA is not the best thing to have, since this can lead to problems during the copying stage. The work around this potential bottleneck, is make a lots of copies. Then you sort through these to take the best of the best. The unchosen are compounding errors waiting to happen.

    Reducing the amount of DNA, made the DNA more manageable in term of spell check; selection. With better copying in hand, life could then make multicellular, which needs it parts to last, since they work as a team.
     
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  7. Eagle9 Registered Senior Member

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    Ok, but what can you tell me about E.coli? I need to know what substance they generate at the death phase. Do they produce ethanol or other chemicals? Can these produced substances kill E.coli bacteria?



    Well, this is very interesting of course, but I am not talking about DNA. I need to know what chemicals are generated by E.coli during at death phase and how they act on bacterial cells.

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  8. origin Heading towards oblivion Valued Senior Member

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    Sorry I don't know, I brew beer and make wine so I am only concerned with microbes that make alcohol, I a do not add E Coli to my wort or must.
     
  9. wellwisher Banned Banned

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    Cells have digestive enzymes that break down materials for recycle. For example, most cells have lysosomes; from wikipedia.

    A lysosome (derived from the Greek words lysis, meaning "to loosen", and soma, "body") is a membrane-boundcell organelle found in most animal cells (they are absent in red blood cells). Structurally and chemically, they are spherical vesicles containing hydrolytic enzymes capable of breaking down virtually all kinds of biomolecules, including proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, lipids, and cellular debris.

    When cells die, these enzymes are released and begin to break down the cell; decay. Release the Kraken. When alive the lysosomes are under control and serve a material recycle purpose. This suggests there is a change in equilibrium, at death, so the function of the lysosome changes.

    The fact that red blood cells do not contain lysosomes and red blood cells also lose their DNA, suggests a connection between the DNA and the release of the Kraken. Red blood cells get rid of both and stay viable for weeks.
     
  10. Eagle9 Registered Senior Member

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    wellwisher
    Interesting material but I need to know what chemicals are generated by E.coli during at death phase and how they act on bacterial cells

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