BACTERIAL GROWTH CURVE The bacterial growth curve represents the number of live cells in a bacterial population over a period of time. There are four distinct phases of the growth curve : lag, exponential (log), stationary, and death. The initial phase is the lag phase where bacteria are metabolically active but not dividing. The bacterial growth curve represents the number of live cells in a bacterial population over a period of time. Lag Phase: This initial phase is characterized by cellular activity but not growth. A small group of cells are placed in a nutrient rich medium that allows them to synthesize proteins and other molecules necessary for replication. These cells increase in size, but no cell division occurs in the phase. Exponential (Log) Phase: After the lag phase, bacterial cells enter the exponential or log phase. This is the time when the cells are dividing by bin...
