Determination of a Bacterial Growth Curve Classical Method
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Abstract:
When examining bacterial population growth, these four phases of growth can be determined by measuring the turbidity of the population in a broth culture. In this experiment, spectrophotometric measurements of developing turbidity in a bacterial culture of Escherichia coli were taken at time intervals 0, 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 120 minutes, 9pm that evening, and 8am the next morning.
Introduction:
The first phase of bacterial growth is the lag phase. Bacteria are becoming "acclimated" to the new environmental conditions to which they have been introduced (pH, temperature, nutrients, etc.). There is no significant increase in numbers with time. During the exponential growth phase, living bacteria population increases rapidly with time at an exponential growth in numbers, and the growth rate increasing with time. Conditions are optimal for growth during this phase. The stationary phase occurs with the exhaustion of nutrients and build-up of waste and secondary metabolic products. Growth slows to the point where it equals the death rate as wastes accumulate and/or nutrients are depleted...