Culturing bacteria under conditions of stress produces colonies with strikingly distinctive shapes that reflect strategies for survival. This fractal growth can be characterized by mapping the borders of the colonies. This exercise provides images of stressed colonies that you can analyze manually or with the program, Fractal Dimension. (You can inoculate your own plates, but be prepared to allow six months for strong patterns to emerge.)

• observe how nutrient limitation alters the metabolic circumstances resulting in identifiable patterns of growth within the same species

Topic(s): Growth

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