Question

The area covered by a certain population of bacteria increases according to a continuous exponential growth model. Suppose that a sample culture has initial area of 41.2mm^(2) and an observed doubling time of 21 days.

Answer 1

The question deals with the exponential growth of bacteria, focusing on the concept of doubling time, which is the period required for a population to double in size.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question pertains to the exponential growth of a bacterial population. In biology, this growth model describes how the population size of organisms, such as bacteria, can increase at an accelerated rate when conditions are ideal. The doubling time is a key concept in understanding this growth, as it refers to the time it takes for a population to double in size. According to the given scenario with an initial area of 41.2mm2 and a doubling time of 21 days, we can describe this as a J-shaped curve when plotted on a graph. This signifies the characteristic exponential growth, which is visually apparent when the number of bacteria or the area they cover increases drastically over a short period. Such growth is possible only when bacteria have abundant nutrients and a suitable environment, allowing them to reproduce through binary fission effectively.