How To Control Bacterial Growth

Control of microorganisms is essential in home, industry as well as in medical fields. By controlling microorganisms one can prevent and treat disease. Spoilage of foods and other industrial products can inhibited by controlling microorganisms. Microorganisms can be controlled by various methods.

• Physical methods

In this, steam, dry heat, gas, filtration, and radiation are used to control bacteria. The process in which we use physical agents to control bacterial growth/microorganisms is known as sterilization. Sterilization is destruction of all life forms. 

High temperature is usually used in microbiological labs for control of microbes. Both dry heat and moist heat are effective. Moist heat causes coagulation of proteins and kills microbes. Dry heat causes oxidation of chemical constituents of microbes and kills them.

Certain electromagnetic radiations below 300 nm are effective in killing of microorganisms. Gamma rays are in general used for sterilization process.

Heat sensitive compounds like antibiotics, seras, hormones can sterilized by means of membrane filters.

• Chemical methods

   One can use antiseptics, disinfectants and chemotherapeutic agents for mirobial control. Chemical substances used on living tissues that inhibit the growth of microorganism are called antiseptics.

The important chemical agents used for disinfection are oxidising and reducing agents. For example halogens and phenols, hydrogen peroxide, potassium permaganate, alcohol, and formaldehyde etc, inhibits the growth of vegetative cells and are used on nonliving materials.

• Chemotherapeutic agents

Chemotherapeutic agents are antibiotics, work with natural defense and stop the growth of bacteria and other microbes. These are sulfonamides, tetracycline, penicilline, etc. They destroy and inhibit the growth of microorganisms in living tissue.