Which factor is most critical for bacterial doubling time?
Bacterial doubling time influenced multifactorially because growth rate emerges from integrated functioning of transport, catabolism, respiration, biosynthesis. Type of medium richness determines carbon supply glucose versus acetate, amino acids availability bypassing biosynthesis costs, trace elements iron cofactor for cytochromes. Oxygen levels dictate energetics aerobic respiration using NADH dehydrogenase, succinate dehydrogenase, cytochrome bo3 generating proton motive force giving up to 38 ATP per glucose versus anaerobic fermentation 2 ATP dramatically altering mu. Temperature near opti
Ref: Prescott's Microbiology, 11th ed., Chapter 7: Factors controlling doubling time - Medium oxygen temperature.