Chemostat

Definition

A chemostat is a bioreactor where the chemical environment is kept constant by continuously adding fresh medium and removing culture fluid. This allows for the study of microbial growth under steady-state conditions.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Chemostats can maintain microbial cultures in exponential growth phase indefinitely.
2. They are used to study the effects of nutrient limitation on microbial growth.
3. The dilution rate in a chemostat determines the growth rate of microorganisms.
4. They help in understanding microbial ecology and evolution.
5. Chemostats are ideal for experiments requiring controlled environmental conditions.

Review Questions

• What is the primary purpose of a chemostat in microbiological studies?
• How does the dilution rate affect microbial growth in a chemostat?
• Why are chemostats useful for studying nutrient limitation?

Related terms

Batch Culture: A closed system where no additional nutrient is added after initial inoculation.

Continuous Culture: A method similar to a chemostat but without strict control over conditions.

Dilution Rate: The rate at which fresh medium is added to a culture vessel and spent medium is removed.