In ideal conditions, a bacterial population can expand at an exponential rate. With an optimal generation time of roughly 20 minutes, a single E. coli bacteria can spawn a population over 1 billion strong in a 10-hour timeframe. This rapid growth can transform a tube with clear growth medium into a hazy solution in the course of a day.
This exponential progression can be expressed with the simple expression 2n, with n the number of generations. At the start, the initial bacteria is equal to 20, and after 3 generations the population expanded to 23 or 2x2x2, so 8 cells. The simple mathematics of this exponential growth allows you to calculate the generation time of the bacterial population.This exponential progression can be expressed with the simple expression 2 to the power of 'n', with 'n' the number of generations. At the start, the initial bacteria is equal to 2 to the power of 0, and after 3 generations the population expanded to 2 to the power of 3 or 2 times 2 times 2, so 8 cells. The simple mathematics of this exponential growth allows you to calculate the generation time of the bacterial population.
This growth is, however, neither spontaneous nor constant and follows distinct growth curves.
Related pages