Question

8) In class we showed the effect of temperature on bacterial growth. Strptococus pneumoniae, the bacteria responsible for pnemococcal meningitis, is a mesophile. The optimum temperature for the growth of the bacteria is 37C. At 37C the number of bacteria doubles every 0.5 hours. Rabbits injected with the bacteria exhibit a fever. For those in which the fever is removed with anitpyretics so that the rabbits body temperature is the normal 39.4C, the doubling time for the bacteria in their spinal cord is 1.10 hours. The doubling time for the bacteria in rabbits with a fever (40.9C) is 2.76 hours. Assume you get this bacteria in your body. Your normal body temperature is 37C. Could getting a high fever (above 40C) be a good thing for you?

a) Yes. By raising my body temperature I am limiting the rate of growth of the bacteria.

b) No. By raising my body temperature I am enhancing the growth rate of the bacteria.

c) Yes. By raising my body temperature I am favoring production of more enzymes from amino acids in my body.

d) No. by raising my body temperature I am in danger of damaging some of my enzymes by causing them to start to unfold.

e) Yes and no. It is good because I am slowing down the growth rate of the bacteria. On the other hand, raising the temperature will reduce the amount of enzymes produced and start to destroy some of the enzymes already present by unfolding them (denaturing).

Answer 1

e) Yes and No. It is good because I am slowing down the growth of the bacteria. On the other hand raising the temperature will reduce the amount of enzymes produced and start to destroy some of the enzymes already present by unfolding them (denaturing). Each and every enzyme has their own optimum temperature, above that temperature their effeciency gradually decreases. So when we haver fever enzyme stop their work so that we are saying don't eat spicy or heavy food at the time of fever since their digestion become difficult.