Secondary metabolites like antibiotics are not essential for

Secondary metabolites like antibiotics are not essential for Log phase and exponential growth.
Microbial secondary metabolites, like antibiotics, pigments, growth hormones, antitumor agents, and others, are not essential for the growth and development of microorganisms, but they have shown great potential for human and animal health.
Secondary metabolites serve as competitive weapons used against other bacteria, fungi, amoebae, plants, insects, and large animals. It serves as metal transporting agent and agent of symbiosis between microbes and plants, nematodes, insects, and higher animals also as sex hormones.