Question

The bacteria in this petri dish are growing on a gel that provides nutrients. A population of bacteria can double in size every 20 minutes.
An image of The bacteria in this petri dish are growing on a gel that provides nutrients.

Which two resources will these bacteria need to compete for as the population grows larger?

Oxygen
Space
Food
Light

Answers

GPT-4o mini
As the population of bacteria grows larger, the two resources they will need to compete for are **Oxygen** and **Food**.

- **Oxygen** is often essential for aerobic bacteria, and as the population increases, the demand for oxygen will also rise, leading to potential competition.
- **Food** refers to the nutrients in the gel that support their growth; as more bacteria grow, the available nutrients may become limited, resulting in competition for food resources.

**Space** is another factor, but typically in a gel medium, the immediate concern would be the availability of nutrients and oxygen. **Light** is generally not a primary concern for many bacteria, especially those that do not photosynthesize.