This activity asks you to consider various methods of counting or estimating the size of bacterial populations and to select the method that will provide the most accurate data for plotting a bacterial growth curve. Which of the following methods would be most appropriate for gathering data to plot a bacterial growth curve throughout the four phases?
a) electronic cell counter
b) plate count
c) Any of these methods will provide reliable data for plotting a growth curve.
d) indirect estimate based on turbidity
e) direct microscopic count

Based on this scenario, the best method for this would be a plate count. This method is used to determine the degree of bacterial contamination of a specific sample that has been made by enumeration after a period of incubation of the colonies appearing in a plate that has been inoculated with a suitable dilution of the sample. This constant count allows you to easily plot the growth curve of the bacteria throughout the phases.