Name: Blessy B Martin Date: June 10 2021

Subject: Microbiology and Parasitology Instructor: Prof. Brandon Estigoy

Worksheet No. 3
Exponential Growth and Death of Bacteria

Introduction

Bacteria divide asexually through a process called binary fission. One bacteria
can split into two new identical copies. Since bacteria are very small and simple cells, they
are able to grow and reproduce very quickly under the right conditions. For this worksheet,
we will follow a population of 100 bacteria on a petri dish as they grow and die.

 Lag Phase
During this phase, the bacteria are getting used to their environment. They are
adapting, ingesting food, and growing in size. Most of the individual bacteria are not fully
mature and cannot divide yet.

Hours # of Bacterial Hours # of Bacterial

Cells
1 100
2 100
3 102
4 106
5 144
Cells
6 131
7 144
8 159
9 178
10 200

1. Sketch the basic shape the graph of the lag phase would take. Make sure you label each axis.

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 2. If you were looking at a petri dish in lag phase, would you be able to see any bacterial
colonies? Why?
The number of cells does not change during the lag phase; however, cells grow larger and are
metabolically active, synthesizing proteins needed to grow within the medium.
 Exponential Phase
During this phase, cell doubling occurs. This growth will continue, unrestricted, as
long as the bacteria have sufficient space, water, and food.

Hours # of Bacterial Hours # of Bacterial

Cells Cells
11 200 17 12800
12 400 18 25600
13 800 19 51200
14 1600 20 102400
15 3200 21 204800
16 6400 22 409600

3. Sketch the basic shape the graph of the exponential phase would take. Make sure you label
each axis.

4. Would it be realistic to expect this kind of growth to continue endlessly? Explain.

In exponential growth does not continue indefinitely and ceases after some time because of
two reasons: a) The culture medium becomes so over-populated that, essential nutrients
present in it are used up and become unavailable after sometime and b) Due to over-
population, toxic waste metabolites produced by the bacteria accumulate to inhibitory levels.
These lead to the beginning of death of the bacteria cells in the culture. Although cells

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 reproduce by binary fission and growth continues unabated, the number of cells produced
almost equals the number of cells dying. This leads to the stationary phase.

3. If you were looking at a petri dish during this phase, how would you expect its appearance to
change? Why?
When the bacteria have already made colonies because the cells are dividing by binary fission
and doubling in numbers after each generation time.
 Stationary Phase
Eventually, the bacteria begin to experience limits to their growth. They may start to
run out of space and crowd against each other, water and food may start to become depleted,
and their waste products, which are toxic to growth, begin to accumulate.

Hours # of Bacterial Hour # of Bacterial

Cell Cell
23 410000 26 411000
24 411000 27 410500
25 411000 28 410000

6. Sketch the basic shape the graph of the stationary phase would take. Make sure you label
each axis.

7. If you were looking at a petri dish during this phase, how would you expect its appearance to
change? Explain.
When the number of cells in the culture remains almost constant even though some cells
continue to divide and others begin to die because during the stationary phase, the rate of
bacterial cell growth is equal to the rate of bacterial cell death.

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Death Phase
As the waste products of the bacteria accumulate and the bacteria run out of
nutrients, they quickly begin to die. All of the colonies that were produced during the
exponential growth phase die off in huge numbers.

Hours # of Bacterial Cells Hours # of Bacterial Cells

29 410000 34 200000
30 380000 35 140000
31 340000 36 75000
32 300000 37 30000
33 250000 38 0
Data Analysis
Make a line graph to show the growth and death of the bacteria in this petri dish. Time
should go on the x-axis, and population on the y-axis. Label each of the four phases of bacterial
growth on this graph.

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8. Explain why it takes so long for the bacteria to start growing. What is happening in the lag
phase?
They take in nutrients and reproduce by dividing – one bacteria splits and becomes two
bacteria, two become four, four become eight and so on. Doubling can occur quickly if the
conditions – enough nutrients, proper temperature, adequate moisture, etc. Each type of
bacteria has its own preferred conditions for growth. During lag phase, bacteria adapt
themselves to growth conditions. It is the period where the individual bacteria are maturing
and not yet able to divide

9. What form of reproduction is occurring in the bacteria during the exponential phase? Why is
this so much faster than animal and plant reproduction?
During exponential phase asexual reproduction is formed (bacterial reproduction) it is faster
than animal and plant reproduction because all of them offspring have the same genetic
information, individuals are more susceptible to disease.

10. What limiting factors eventually restrict the bacterial growth during the stationary phase?
Stationary phase is the one which follows the period of active growth, known as exponential
phase. During this phase with the cells growing at their most vigorous they are using up
nutrients, growing in size and number, accumulating waste products and they enter stationary
phase because the nutrient supply is becoming limited, the accumulation of waste products is
having an inhibitory effect, the cells are becoming “squeezed” for space, O2 supply is
depleted in short depletion of an essential nutrient, and/or the formation of an inhibitory
product such as an organic acid.

11. What causes the eventual demise of the bacterial colonies during the death phase?
Death occurs because cell have depleted intracellular ATP reserves.

12. Describe a real-life example of this kind of bacterial growth outside of a petri dish.
In real life example of bacterial growth not all bacteria grows harmful. In fact, some even are
involved in the production of foods consumed by humans. For example, bacteria that cause
milk to become sour are used in making cottage cheese, buttermilk, and yogurt. Vinegar and
sauerkraut also are produced by the action of bacteria on ethyl alcohol and cabbage,
respectively. Other bacteria, most notably Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) in the human intestines,
make it possible for animals to digest foods and even form vitamins in the course of their
work. Others function as decomposers aiding in the chemical breakdown of organic
materials, while still others help keep the world a cleaner place by consuming waste
materials, such as feces. Despite its helpful role in the body, certain strains of E. coli are
dangerous pathogens that can cause diarrhea, bloody stools, and severe abdominal cramping
and pain. The affliction is rarely fatal, though in late 1992 and 1993 four people died during
the course of an E. coli outbreak in Washington, Idaho, California, and Nevada. More often
the outcome is severe illness that may bring on other conditions; for example, two teenagers
among a group of 11 who became sick while attending a Texas cheerleading camp had to
receive emergency appendectomies. The pathogen is usually transmitted through under-
cooked foods, and sometimes through other means; for example, a small outbreak in the
Atlanta area in the late 1990s occurred in a recreational water park.

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