Question

) How many cells can be grown in a 5 mL culture using minimal medium before the medium exhausts the carbon?

Answer 1

Answer:

$5 * 10^{10}$

Explanation:

The question is not complete. Remaining part of the question is as follows - Minimal growth medium for bacteria such as E. coli includes various salts with  characteristic concentrations in the mM range and a carbon source. The carbon source is  typically glucose and it is used at 0.5% (a concentration of 0.5 g/100 mL). For nitrogen,  minimal medium contains ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) with a concentration of 0.1 g/100 mL

How many cells can be grown in a 5 mL culture using minimal medium before the medium exhausts the carbon?

Solution -

We will first find the mass concentration of 0.5 g/100 mL of solution.

$\frac{0.5}{100}$ gram per ml of glucose

The chemical formula of glucose is $C_6H_{12}O_6$

The molecular weight of glucose molecule is $180$ grams per mole

Now, we will find the number of moles of glucose in a 5 ml medium -

$\frac{\frac{0.5}{100} * 5}{180} \\1.39 * 10^{-4}$ mole

The number of carbon atom in each glucose molecule is equal to six, thus, number of minimal carbon mole is equal to

$1.39 * 10^{-4} * 6\\= 8.34* 10^{-4}$mole

Number of carbon atoms is equal to

$8.34* 10^{-4} * 6.023 * 10^{23}\\= 5 * 10^{20}$ Carbons

One bacteria has $10^{10}$ carbon molecule.Thus, $5$ ml medium will have $5 * 10^{10}$ bacteria