A bacterium weighs about 10 12 g and can divide every 20 minutes. If a single bacterial

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A bacterium weighs about 10–12 g and can divide every 20 minutes. If a single bacterial cell carried on dividing at this rate, how long would it take before the mass of bacteria would equal that of the Earth (6 × 1024 kg)? Contrast your result with the fact that bacteria originated at least 3.5 billion years ago and have been dividing ever since. Explain the apparent paradox. (The number of cells N in culture at time t is described by the equation N = N0 × 2t/G, where N0 is the number of cells at zero time, and G is the population doubling time.)

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Essential Cell Biology

ISBN: 9780393680362

5th Edition

Authors: Bruce Alberts, Karen Hopkin, Alexander Johnson, David Morgan, Martin Raff, Keith Roberts, Peter Walter

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