Final answer:
D) log The generation time of bacterial cells is shortest during the log phase, which is characterized by active cell division and the exponential increase in the population of cells.
Step-by-step explanation:
The generation time of bacterial cells is shortest during the log phase. This phase is marked by active cell division and exponential growth, hence the term 'logarithmic' or 'exponential' growth phase. The intrinsic growth rate, determined by factors such as nutrients, temperature, pH, etc., is demonstrated during this phase where the number of cells increases exponentially. Therefore, antibiotics like penicillin, which inhibits cell-wall synthesis, would be most effective during the log phase because this is when bacteria are rapidly dividing and are most susceptible to such interventions.
Generation time, on the other hand, is best defined as the length of time it takes for a population of cells to double. It does not refer to the time taken to reach a particular phase of growth. The log phase embodies the conditions favoring a high growth rate, hence the shortest generation time observed in bacterial cells.
The generation time of bacterial cells is shortest during the log phase. In the log phase, bacterial cells are actively dividing through binary fission, resulting in an exponential increase in cell numbers. The generation time refers to the length of time it takes for a population of cells to double, making option B, the log phase, the correct answer.Also, the log phase is when antibiotics like penicillin are most effective.