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Definitions:
Reactor is a confined space used for transformation of reacting entities from
one chemical form into another in a certain time period.
The major objective of a reactor is to bring all reactants in intimate contact with each other.
Bioreactor is any of various devices or systems used to grow large quantities of biochemical cultures, as to produce enzymes, antibiotics, or blood cells.
Or
Bioreactor is an apparatus, such as a large fermentation chamber, for growing organisms such as bacteria or yeast or tissues that are used in the biotechnological production of substances such as pharmaceuticals, antibodies, or vaccines, or for the bioconversion of organic waste.
Or
In one case, a Bioreactor is a vessel in which is carried out a chemical process which involves organisms or biochemically active substances derived from such organisms.
CHEMICAL REACTORS Vs BIOREACTORS
DIFFERENCES:
Bioreactor is a system in which a biological conversion, involving enzymes, microorganisms, and animal or plant cells, is effected
Chemical reactor is intended to perform Chemical conversions or reactions
The bioreactors include only mechanical vessels in which
(a) organisms are cultivated in a controlled manner and/or
(b) materials are converted or transformed via specific reactions
Unlike the conventional chemical reactors, in a bio-reactor with an expanding number of bioparticles such as cells or mycelium, the operation is difficult to be considered at steady state as the variables are continuously changing and so are the requirements of the growing population.
The adequacy of reactor facilities to cater to the needs of evolving population needs to be ascertained at the design stage itself.
Some Bioreactors are specifically designed to influence the metabolic pathways
Bioreactors differ from chemical reactors that they support and control biological entities and are designed to provide a higher degree of control over process upsets and contaminations
Although a majority of fundamental bioreactor engineering and design issues are similar, maintaining desired biological activities and eliminating or minimizing undesired activities often presents a greater challenge than traditional chemical reactors typically require.
Selectivity and rate of reaction is the key difference between bioreactors and chemical reactors
Typically, bioreactors are operated for long time to complete a batch run.
The Special Features required by a bioreactor unlike a traditional chemical reactor are:
 Reliable sterilization and ease of maintenance of sterility
 Rapid mixing of reactor contents
 Sufficient oxygen supply to the bioculture
 Good removal of generated heat
 Efficient retention of the bioculture in the reactor
 Sophisticated level of instrumentation
SIMILARITIES:
Common characteristic of a bioreactor is the dynamic variation in the physicochemical properties of the growing population of the microbes and consequently, in the properties of the medium