MCB 3020C Lecture Notes - Lecture 19: Autolysin, Mine, Glycosidic Bond
Document Summary
Growth is defined as the orderly increase of all the major chemical constituents of an organism: increase in total mass is not necessarily growth since this may be due to accumulation of cellular reserve material. Growth normally results in cellular multiplication except in the special case of coenocytic (multinucleated) organisms: ex: fungi, algae, slime molds. In a multicellular organism, cellular multiplication results in an increase in size of the individual. In unicellular organisms, it leads to an increase in the number of individuals; ie cellular reproduction = organismal reproduction: the ultimate process (goal) in the life of microbial cells. Cell growth depends on (ch 3): metabolism a large number of chemical reactions, fueling some transformation of energy, biosynthesis synthesis of small molecules (building blocks, coenzymes, vitamins, etc, polymerization reactions that make the macromolecules. As these are synthesized and accumulated in the cell they are assembled into cell structures the cell grows in size and eventually divides.
