Exponential growth of bacteria: Constant multiplication through division

The growth of a bacterial culture is one of the most familiar examples of exponential growth, with important consequences in biology and medicine. Bacterial growth involves more than just a rate constant. To sustain exponential growth, the cell must carefully coordinate the accumulation of mass, con...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of physics 2010-12, Vol.78 (12), p.1290-1296
Main Author: Hagen, Stephen J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bacteria
Biophysics
Mathematical models
Multiplication & division
Physical growth
Science education
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The growth of a bacterial culture is one of the most familiar examples of exponential growth, with important consequences in biology and medicine. Bacterial growth involves more than just a rate constant. To sustain exponential growth, the cell must carefully coordinate the accumulation of mass, constant replication of the chromosome, and physical division. Hence, the growth rate is centrally important in any physical and chemical description of a bacterial cell. These aspects of bacterial growth can be described by empirical laws that suggest simple and intuitive models. Therefore, a quantitative discussion of bacterial growth could be a part of any undergraduate biophysics course. We present a general overview of some classic experimental studies and mathematical models of bacterial growth from a mostly physical perspective.
ISSN:0002-9505
1943-2909
DOI:10.1119/1.3483278