The generation time for Enterobacter aerogenes during the exponential growth phase is 30 minutes. If a single E. aerogenes cell begins dividing during this phase, how many cells would be present if counted after 5 hours?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The number of cells after a certain time period during exponential growth can be calculated using the formula $N = N_0 \times 2^n$, where $N_0$ is the initial number of cells, $n$ is the number of generations, and $N$ is the final number of cells. Given that the generation time is 30 minutes and the total time is 5 hours (300 minutes), there are $300 / 30 = 10$ generations. Starting with 1 cell, after 10 generations, the number of cells would be $1 \times 2^{10} = 1024$ cells.

The Generation Time for Enterobacter Aerogenes During the Exponential Growth