A 100 µl sample containing 1000 bacterial cells/µl in log phase growth is added to 9.9 ml of fresh culture medium broth. Assuming no nutrients are in limited supply, and a generation time of 30 minutes, how many bacteria will be present in the entire broth culture after six hours? A) 6.0 × 10⁶ B) 1.2 × 10⁶ C) 4.096 × 10⁸ D) 6.0 × 10⁵ E) 2.56 × 10⁷

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The initial number of bacteria is 100,000 (100 µl x 1000 cells/µl). The total volume after dilution is 10 ml. The bacteria double every 30 minutes, so in 6 hours (12 generations), the number of bacteria is 100,000 x 2^12 = 4.096 × 10^8.

A 100 µL Sample Containing 1000 Bacterial Cells/µl in Log