Which of the following statements are correct with respect to a bioreactor?
i) It can process large volumes of culture.
ii) It provides optimum temperature and pH.
iii) It has an oxygen delivery system.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → i, ii and iii
A bioreactor is a large vessel in which cells convert raw materials into a desired product, such as a protein made by a cloned gene. It is used because small cultures cannot give useful amounts of product.
i) It can process large volumes of culture. — True. This is the reason bioreactors were developed: they handle hundreds of litres of culture at a time.
ii) It provides optimum temperature and pH. — True. Cells give the most product only when growth conditions are right. A bioreactor keeps them at the optimum, and it has a temperature control system and a pH control system for this.
iii) It has an oxygen delivery system. — True. Growing cells need oxygen. A stirred-tank bioreactor supplies oxygen to the culture and spreads it evenly with the stirrer.
NCERT Extract:
Obtaining the Foreign Gene Product – “… Small volume cultures cannot yield appreciable quantities of products. To produce in large quantities, the development of bioreactors, where large volumes (100-1000 litres) of culture can be processed, was required. … A bioreactor provides the optimal conditions for achieving the desired product by providing optimum growth conditions (temperature, pH, substrate, salts, vitamins, oxygen). … If you look at the figure closely you will see that the bioreactor has an agitator system, an oxygen delivery system and a foam control system, a temperature control system, pH control system and sampling ports so that small volumes of the culture can be withdrawn periodically.”