In rapidly dividing bacteria the cell can divide in times as

In rapidly dividing bacteria, the cell can divide in times asshort as 1200s. Make a careful estimate of the number of sugars (glucose) needed to provide the carbon forconstructing the macromolecules of the cell during one cellcycle of a bacterium. Use this result to work out the numberof carbon atoms that need to be taken into the cell eachsecond to sustain this growth rate.

Solution

When the bacterium is grown in media ,the glucose is only sole source of carbon.During the growth six atoms of carbon are added to the cellular inventory for each molecules of glucose taken up.

It has been investigated that 10¹⁰ carbon molecules are required to doble cell material so that it can be divided into two.

So,average rate of sugar molecule roughly 5 x 10⁵ molecules per second is required to sustain the growth rate.