• Question: with bacteria why does it grow in the hot but not in the cold? why???

    Asked by lydiah to Steve on 20 Jun 2013.
    • Photo: Steven Gardner

      Steven Gardner answered on 20 Jun 2013:


      cell in you are kept alive by a series of chemical reactions inside them. Collectively this is called your metabolism. For most of these reactions a molecule called an enzyme is needed to make it happen. Enzymes are complicated strips of protein that fold up into a specific shape. Thing is, they’re only the correct shape at a certain temperature, which is when they work best. That’s why your body tries to keep your temperature at a constant level. Bacteria have a similar system, so they have working enzymes and can make the most energy when they are warm. More energy means they can reproduce more more easily, so the colony grows.

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