Question

When a single bacterium can produce millions of identical cells, the population is called a(n) ________?

1) species
2) colony
3) organism
4) community

Answer 1

A population of genetically identical cells produced by a single bacterium is referred to as a colony.2) colony

Step-by-step explanation:

When a single bacterium produces millions of identical cells, the population is referred to as a colony. This occurs when individual bacteria cells reproduce and create clones, which all pile onto the original cell. This can be observed on an agar plate where after an incubation period, the piles of bacterial cells are called colonies. Each of these colonies began with a single bacterial cell, and thus all the cells within each are genetically identical and are considered clones of one another when a pure culture is achieved. This is an important method in microbiology for isolating a single type of bacteria in a sample containing many, to create a pure culture.