Explain Nutritional Requirements of Microbes?
Microorganisms require various nutrients and physical factors for their existence and growth. Nutrients are substances used in biosynthesis and energy release for microbial growth. Larger quantities are required for some nutrients as these are the parts of various building blocks like, lipids, proteins, carbohydrates and nucleic acids. These are called macronutrients. Other elements are needed in very small amounts and are serving as co-factors or parts of the enzyme. These are called trace elements. Environmental factors such as temperature, oxygen level, pH and osmotic concentration of the medium are also critical for microbial growth.