A scientist is studying the growth of a bacterial culture. If the culture doubles every 3 hours and starts with 100 bacteria, how many bacteria will there be after 24 hours?

Mon, 04 May 2026 13:45:20 +0000

Title: Understanding Bacterial Growth: How 100 Bacteria Multiply Over 24 Hours When studying microbial biology, one of the most fascinating topics is how bacterial cultures grow at exponential rates. A common real-world example involves a bacterial strain that doubles in number every 3 hours, starting with just 100 cells. A recent scientific study investigates this growth pattern to understand bacterial proliferation for both medical and industrial applications. ### The Science of Bacterial Doubling Time Bacteria reproduce asexually through binary fission, where each organism splits into two identical daughter cells. When ideal conditions are present—adequate nutrients, optimal temperature, and no environmental stress—the population grows exponentially. The doubling time—the interval required for a culture to double in size—is a key metric in microbiology.