A bacterium divides every 36 minutes. If a culture containing 105 cells/ml is grown for 180 minutes, what will be cell concentration after that period?

Explanation

The bacterium divides every 36 minutes. The total time given is 180 minutes. To find out how many times the bacterium divides during this period, divide 180 by 36, which equals 5. The formula for exponential growth is N(t) = N0 * 2n, where N0 is the initial number of cells, and n is the number of divisions. Here, N0 = 105 cells/ml and n = 5. Therefore, N(t) = 105 * 25 = 105 * 32 = 32 x 105 cells/ml. Thus, the correct answer is 32 x 105. The other options are incorrect as they do not account for the accurate number of divisions or exponential growth.