I would like to know how many days or years do the bacteria live approximately.
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$\begingroup$ I think this depends on species and particular conditions. E.G. An amp resistant strain of bacteria would be fine if you grew it on an amp plate and a non amp resistant one would die. Plus how much room does it have? $\endgroup$– SolarLunixCommented Jul 31, 2015 at 20:26
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$\begingroup$ room? What you mean? $\endgroup$– The_Mad_FishCommented Jul 31, 2015 at 20:27
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$\begingroup$ The amount of space they have to grow. $\endgroup$– SolarLunixCommented Jul 31, 2015 at 20:28
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$\begingroup$ a human body you mean? $\endgroup$– The_Mad_FishCommented Jul 31, 2015 at 20:30
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1$\begingroup$ @Orphee Are you trying to ask how long pathogenic bacteria live for in the human body? Because that's a completely different question $\endgroup$– telCommented Jul 31, 2015 at 23:02
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1 Answer
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They're effectively immortal, albeit in a Phoenix-rising-from-the-ashes sort of way.
In general, a bacterial cell will divide as soon as it's biochemically able to do so, leaving behind two daughter cells. Neither daughter cell is actually the same as the mother cell, so in one sense the mother cell will have "died". On the other hand, the daughter cells are genetically identical to the mother cell and all of the physical material present in each of the daughter cells at the moment right after they split came from the mother cell.
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$\begingroup$ It should be noted, however, that cell viability relies on a number of different factors. $\endgroup$ Commented Aug 1, 2015 at 13:33
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1$\begingroup$ I love how you describe them as immortals. :-) $\endgroup$ Commented Aug 1, 2015 at 17:59
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$\begingroup$ related: biology.stackexchange.com/questions/21111/… $\endgroup$ Commented May 23, 2018 at 12:33