bacterial growth curve
biology
Quick Summary
Bacillus subtilis bacterial growth phases
A Bacillus subtilis bacterial colony showing signs of stationary growth after 48 hours of incubation at 37 °C (98.6 °F; magnified about 9×).
A bacterial growth curve illustrates the changes in a bacterial population over time. It typically consists of four phases:
- Lag Phase: Bacteria adjust to a new environment, increasing in size and synthesizing necessary components for division, but not yet reproducing.12
- Log Phase: Population grows exponentially as cells divide at a constant rate.23
- Stationary Phase: Growth slows as nutrients deplete and waste products accumulate, leading to a balance between cell division and death.12
- Decline Phase: Cell death rate exceeds the growth rate, causing the population to decrease.13
The time it takes for a bacterial population to double is called the generation time, which varies significantly between species and is influenced by environmental conditions.2
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