Different organisms grow best at different temperature ranges. Temperature ranges (cardinal temperature points) may be described by three points (the names are self-descriptive): minimum growth temperature, maximum growth temperature, and optimum growth temperature.
Psychrophiles: grow well at the lower end roughly between -5-20 °C with the optimum temperature around 12.5 °C.
Mesophiles: may be found “in the middle” of the temperature scale, roughly between 20-45 °C. They can grow at body temperature, 37 °C. Plant saprophytes grow between 20-30 °C.
Thermophiles: may be found at the higher end, roughly between 40-70 °C (but may exceed 70 °C). Facultative thermophiles can grow at 37 °C with optimal temperatures between 45-60 °C. Obligate thermophiles grow above 50 °C with optimum temperatures above 50 °C.
Clinical significance. Cold temperature (such as in refrigerators or freezers) help to decelerate growth (or even inhibit growth via enzymatic metabolism disruption) of bacteria. However, some bacteria can survive such as Listeria monocytogenes which causes flu-like symptoms.
Reference
Cappuccino, J. G., & Welsh, C. (2018). Microbiology: A laboratory manual.
