3.3.3 Temperature
At optimum temperatures, bacteria can increase their uptake of
nutrients, allowing rapid biofilm formation [114].
Nutrient metabolism depends on and is directly influenced by the
presence of enzymes. Temperature is related to the reaction rate of
enzymes, making temperature one of the factors determining the metabolic
efficiency of cells. The optimal temperature will lead to healthy growth
of bacterial populations, and vice versa will reduce the efficiency of
bacterial growth.
In addition to the effect on enzymes, environmental temperature also
affects the physical properties of compounds within and around cells. By
studying the effect of temperature on cell attachment in the stationary
phase, Fletcher [115] found that a decrease in
temperature promoted a reduction in the adhesion properties of
Pseudomonas Maritima, which may be related to the decline in bacterial
surface polymers, surface area, at low temperatures.
Herald and Zottola [116] found that the presence
of bacterial surface appendages was closely related to temperature. At
35 °C, the cells had one flagellum; at 21 °C, they had two to three
flagella; at ten °C multiple flagella appeared. This suggests that the
initial interaction between the bacteria and the substrate may increase
as the temperature decreases, thus increasing bacterial adhesion.