Here is your short paragraph on the cell growth of a bacteria.

If conditions are favorable, cell division is normally followed by a period of enlargement and growth. Through the absorption of water and food manufactured by the protoplasm the cell enlarges to its original size.

Under favourable conditions of moisture, nutrition, pH and temperature some kinds of bacteria, e.g., E. coli may double the mass about every 20 minutes, i.e., their generation time.

Simple arithmetics will show that enormous numbers could result and if this rate of increase were to continue for even a few days bacteria would occupy the entire earth? However, there are several factors which prevent this. In some cases there may be an exhaustion of the food supply or an accumulation of waste products.

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Different bacterial species show various shapes of growth curves depending upon the generation time and the maximum population attainable under the growth conditions that prevail. During a period of one to several hours there may be a lag phase in which there is little or no increase in cell numbers. During the first part of the lag phase (which may be called the initial stationary phase) the cells are adapting to the new environment.

When the growing cells begin to divide they usually continue to do so at regular intervals until the maximum growth that can be supported by their environment is approached. This period of rapid cell division is known as the logarithmic phase of growth. The stationary phase occurs when rapid growth is halted by the depletion of nutrients, accumulation of waste products, or other factors. Unless the cells are transformed to new environment capable of supporting continuing growth they will eventually die.

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