The measurable size of nutrients needed for a cell to thrive and divide has been discovered. Divisional function of bacteria is triggered once it
reaches a certain size and is in response to the general growth law. It is
important to understand that bacteria grow faster and bigger when the quality
of nutrients available to them is better. Extensive research on the
significance of the growth law has been preformed, using the model organism Escherichia
coli. The discoveries began with noticing the cell size remained constant when
cells began to replicate their genetic material. This unchanged cell size is a
representation of the fundamental unit of cellular resources needed in order to
start growth and the cell cycle. The growth inhibition experiments that were
carried out were given in part to thorough cell sampling of large populations
of bacteria.
The quantitative aspects of
biology are shaping the field and promising much greater things for the future
in research.
