Figure 1
From: Bacterial growth, detachment and cell size control on polyethylene terephthalate surfaces
Graphic representation of typical bacterial growth curve in culture medium.
When bacteria are introduced into the fresh medium in a closed system, like a test tube, the population of cells always exhibits growth dynamics as follows. Lag phase: bacteria initially adjust to the new environment, so they appear not able to replicate but the cells might grow in volume; Log (exponential) phase: cells start dividing regularly by the process of binary fission. The culture reaches the maximum growth rate, which could be estimated by generation time or doubling time, i.e., the time per generation; Stationary phase: the number of cells undergoing division seems to be equal to that being dead due to the exhaustion of nutrients. Dead phase: bacteria lose the ability to divide and the number of dead cells exceeds that of live cells.
