Final answer:
Exponential growth in bacterial populations can lead to problems such as resource depletion and population crash due to the rapid doubling of their numbers, leading to a J-shaped growth curve over time.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept of exponential growth is exemplified in bacterial populations where each bacterium divides, effectively doubling the population in regular intervals, such as every hour. While this seems beneficial for the bacteria initially, there are inherent problems with such rapid population increases.
The major issues include resource depletion, accumulation of waste products, increased competition, and eventual population crash as the carrying capacity of their environment is exceeded. In a hypothetical scenario, starting with 1000 bacteria in a nutrient-rich environment, after 24 hours of growth, the population would soar to more than 16 billion.
This J-shaped growth curve is indicative of exponential increase where the rate of population addition accelerates over time, leading to unsustainable numbers.