Exponential growth of bacteria: Constant multiplication through division

The growth of a bacterial culture is one of the most familiar examples of exponential growth, with important consequences in biology and medicine. Bacterial growth involves more than just a rate constant. To sustain exponential growth, the cell must carefully coordinate the accumulation of mass, constant replication of the chromosome, and physical division. Hence, the growth rate is centrally important in any physical and chemical description of a bacterial cell. These aspects of bacterial growth can be described by empirical laws that suggest simple and intuitive models. Therefore, a quantitative discussion of bacterial growth could be a part of any undergraduate biophysics course. We present a general overview of some classic experimental studies and mathematical models of bacterial growth from a mostly physical perspective.