Chapter IV Quantitative Relationships Between Growth Media Constituents and Cellular Yields and Composition

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the quantitative relationships between growth media constituents and cellular yields and composition. It provides a guide to calculating the yield of cells expected from media of known composition. From knowledge of the approximate elemental compositions of microbial cells, a medium can be quickly assessed for possible nutrient deficiencies or for which element is likely to be the growth-limiting nutrient. The data provided can only be related to media of known composition, and do not take into account the influence of physical conditions of culture, e.g., temperature, pH or the requirements for oxygen and carbon dioxide. The exceptions to the latter cases seem to be the utilization of carbon and energy sources after growth has ceased; thus a quantitative relationship does not exist between cell yield and carbon source, energy source, and oxygen supplied for aerobes when these nutrients do not limit growth, e.g., they are consumed in the absence of growth.