The growth of a microorganism that first assimilates a limiting substrate and, on eventual depletion, it metabolically adjusts itself to assimilate another limiting substrate. For example, in the batch culture of yeast, sugar is first assimilated with the (p. 106) production of carbon dioxide and ethanol. Once the sugar has been depleted, the yeast then has a further period of growth in which the ethanol is used as the limiting substrate. See growth curve.