Write about microbial growth curve characteristics and explain how microbiologists measure specifically bacteria growth.
Sample Solution
Microbial growth curve characteristics are used to assess the growth of a microbial population over time. A common characteristic observed in these curves is a lag phase, wherein there is no significant increase in numbers despite the presence of nutrients and other necessary factors for the microbe’s survival. This is followed by an exponential phase, during which the number of microbes increases rapidly; this period ends when resources become limited. Finally, a stationary phase follows as the number of microbes reaches its maximum level and then begins to decrease due to competition for resources or death from environmental stressors such as high or low temperature.