Final answer:
The lack of growth on plate C in a transformation experiment is likely due to it being a control plate that either did not receive the ampicillin resistance gene or was exposed to ampicillin without containing any transformed resistant bacteria.
Step-by-step explanation:
The most likely explanation for why nothing grew on plate C in an transformation experiment with E. coli bacteria and a plasmid is that plate C was the control plate that was not treated with the ampicillin resistance gene (ampr). If plate C was also not supplemented with ampicillin, then any bacteria present on the plate would not have been under selective pressure and should have grown unless there was another growth-inhibiting factor present. However, if plate C did contain ampicillin and lacked transformed bacteria with the ampr gene, this would explain the lack of growth, as none of the bacteria would possess resistance to the antibiotic, resulting in no surviving colonies.
In general, control plates in transformation experiments are essential for confirming the success of the experiment. They demonstrate the effect of the transformation and whether the selective agent (like ampicillin) is effective in inhibiting growth of non-transformed cells.