When a 100 mL of Escherichia coli culture is grown at 37^ C under laboratory conditions, the population of cells exhibit four distinct phases (Figure P ): (i) lag phase, wherein cells adapt to the environment, (ii) exponential phase, wherein cells undergo rapid division, and the population keeps doubling, (iii) stationary phase, wherein the rate of cell division decreases and some cells begin to die, (iv) death phase