Math/bio problems

Course Number: 211G A20

Course Name: Cellular and Organismal Biology (Online)

Instructor: Catherine Hartkorn

Individual/Partner Project - Biology Math Problems Assignment

Remember to write out your calculations and explanations for ALL problems.

As usual, if you need help with these problems, you may ask me for help either privately through

Blackboard email/chat or by calling me, or you may also post your questions directly under the

discussion for this project. Alternatively, you may also work on these with a tutor at the Student

Academic Support Center on campus.

This is the LAST problem set for this assignment.

Problem Set 7 - Problems on Microorganisms/Bacteria (2 problems):

19. Assume that you conducted the following experiment in order to examine how bacterial

evolution occurs in jumps:

An E. coli culture was maintained for 10,000 generations over 4 years. The liquid medium was

changed daily to maintain a constant environment. The average size of the cells at the start of

the experiment was 0.35 x 10 -15

L. After 300 generations the size increased to 0.48 x 10 -15

L,

and after another 300 generations the average increased to 0.49 x 10 -15

L. After 1200

generations it increased to 0.58 x 10 -15

L and remained so until the end of the experiment.

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500

V o

lu m

e (

x 1

0 -1

5 L

)

Generations

E. coli Evolution

a. How many hours long is a generation of E. coli?

b. What was the average size change over the course of the experiment in liters?

c. What was the average size change in the first 300 generations in liters?

d. How fast did the size increase over the course of the experiment in liters per generation?

e. How fast did the size increase over the course of the experiment in liters per year?

f. How fast did the size increase in the first 300 generations in liters per generation?

g. How fast did the size increase in the first 300 generations in liters per year?

20. For this last question, please give me some feedback on this assignment.

Did you like/dislike this assignment, why? Did you find this assignment useful in understanding

how information you are learning in the textbook applies to real-world issues? Did you think

that these problems were too difficult/just right/not difficult enough and/or interesting/not

interesting, why – please be specific? Do you have a suggestion for how I can improve this

assignment?

Thank you!

Now, compile all of your answers for all seven problem sets into one Microsoft Word or Adobe

PDF document, and submit this one document for grading under the Assignments course tool. If

you worked on this assignment with a partner, only ONE of you needs to submit this for grading

- but with BOTH of your names on the document being submitted.