The doubling time of a cell culture is the time required for a cell population to double in size.
In a laboratory experiment investigating tissue regeneration, hepatocytes (liver cells) are grown in a nutrient-rich medium. Under these conditions, the doubling time for hepatocytes is 18.4 hours18.4\text{ hours}18.4 hours.
Starting with a single hepatocyte, calculate the time, in hours, required for the population to reach 128128128 cells. Assume a constant doubling rate.
In a separate control culture, fibroblasts (connective tissue cells) are grown. The doubling time for fibroblasts is 41.4 hours41.4\text{ hours}41.4 hours.
Calculate how many times faster the growth rate of hepatocytes is compared to fibroblasts. Round your answer to two decimal places.
82 exam-style questions on OCR GCSE Biology 2.1 Supplying the cell, covering 2.1.1 Transport across cell membranes, 2.1.2 Mitosis and the cell cycle, 2.1.3 Importance of cell differentiation, and 2.1.4 Stem cells. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.