In a continuous stirred-tank bioreactor, what is the purpose of the sparger and curved agitator blades?

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: A. Ensures uniform mixing of nutrients and maintains optimal aeration throughout culture

  1. Step 1: Bioreactors are large vessels () used to culture microbial or mammalian cells for high-yield production of proteins and pharmaceuticals.
  2. Step 2: An agitator impeller mixes cells and nutrients uniformly, preventing sedimentation and thermal hot spots.
  3. Step 3: A sparger bubbles sterile air or oxygen into the liquid, maximizing the gas-liquid interfacial surface area to satisfy high microbial oxygen demand.
Answer
To facilitate uniform mixing of nutrients and ensure optimal aeration and oxygen availability throughout the large culture volume.
Why not the others: Shearing cell membranes is a destructive artifact that bioreactors actively minimize; Magnetic fields are not used for plasmid crystallization; Cultures are maintained at physiological temperatures (), not freezing.

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