A researcher adds 50 bacteria to a compost sample with enough nutrients and keeps it at a suitable temperature. The number of bacteria is counted every 20 minutes.
| Time in minutes | Number of bacteria |
|---|---|
| 0 | 50 |
| 20 | 100 |
| 40 | 200 |
| 60 | 400 |
Which statement best accounts for the increase in the number counted during each 20-minute period?
The time between divisions becomes shorter as the number of bacteria increases.
Plasmids leave the bacteria and each one develops into a new bacterium.
Each bacterium divides once, but the cells formed cannot divide again.
Each cell formed can divide again, so more bacteria divide in each successive interval.
282 exam-style questions on AQA GCSE Biology 1.1 Cell structure, covering 1.1.1 Eukaryotes and prokaryotes, 1.1.2 Animal and plant cells, 1.1.3 Cell specialisation, 1.1.4 Cell differentiation, 1.1.5 Microscopy, and 1.1.6 Culturing microorganisms. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.