Question

Give an example of exponential population growth.

a) Stable fish population in a pond
b) Bacterial population in a nutrient-rich laboratory culture
c) Elephant population in a protected reserve
d) Human population in an industrialized city

Answer 1

The correct answer is option b) Bacterial population in a nutrient-rich laboratory culture.

Step-by-step explanation:

The best example of exponential growth is observed in bacteria. Bacterial populations exemplify this type of growth when they have an abundant supply of resources and face minimal environmental resistance. This can be seen when 1000 bacteria are placed in a nutrient-rich lab culture; they can double in number every hour. For instance, starting with 1000 bacteria, after one round of division within an hour, the population would increase to 2000.

Another hour later, it would be 4000, demonstrating that the population is growing at a greater rate with each passing hour. The pattern continues and after a day of growth, the bacteria could number more than 16 billion. This scenario creates a J-shaped curve when the population size is plotted over time, indicative of exponential growth.