Class 11 Botany simulations · Biological Classification

Bacterial shapes and binary fission

Choose a bacterial shape and watch a colony multiply by binary fission. Each generation doubles the number of cells.

Open the simulation

What to notice

Under ideal conditions growth is exponential — numbers explode after a few hours.

Key relation

N = N₀ × 2ⁿ, n = t / g

Try this

Set g = 20 min (E. coli in rich medium). How many cells after 4 hours from one cell?

What you can change

• Shape: choose Coccus (spherical), Bacillus (rod), Vibrio (comma), Spirillum (spiral)
• Generation time g: 10 to 120 min
• Time elapsed: 0 to 8 h
• Starting cells N₀: 1 to 100

More in Biological Classification

• Bacteriophage: the lytic cycle
• Whittaker’s five kingdoms

See all Class 11 Botany simulations or every Physica simulation.