ABSTRACT
In spite of the dominance of cold environments, there has been very little ecological or physiological research performed on the true cold-loving bacteria. Bacteria were known to be capable of growing on foods that required refrigeration, but none of these organisms were truly cold loving. This also applied to bacteria isolated from cold ecosystems. As a result, such terms as Glaciale Bakterien, rhigophile, psychrotolerant, psychrocartericus, psychrobe, rhigophobic bacteria, cryophile, facultative psychrophile, obligate psychrophile, and psychrotrophic bacteria have been used. The thermosensitivity of psychrophiles has well been demonstrated. Depending on the organism's maximal growth temperature, a few degrees above its maximum growth temperature can bring about thermal death of the cell. Naturally, depending upon the exposure to temperature above its maximal growth temperature, it is time dependent. It is strongly recommended that the enrichment culture technique be employed first using the desired medium in relation to the physiological type of bacteria desired.
